Builders To Be Added To Shortage Occupation List?

In an interesting development for those in the construction industry this week (March 13th), it seems that the UK government is readying itself to add construction workers to the shortage occupation list in order to address the chronic labour shortage in the sector that has been seen since Brexit was pushed through.

According to the Financial Times (via the Independent), more builders from overseas are likely to be welcomed to UK shores to help boost numbers, following recommendations by the Migration Advisory Committee that bricklayers, plasters and roofers, among others, be added to the shortage list.

It’s thought that the government now has plans in place to reveal the results of a review of this list over the next few weeks or so.

This is likely to prove welcome news for many in the industry, such as the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), which has spoken out in the past about what a mistake it was to cut labour off from the EU after Brexit without first taking into account the UK’s own skills shortage.

Speaking to the Independent, FMB chief executive Brian Berry said that the move would “help address the current skills shortage in the construction industry”, although he did add that “there still needs to be investment in UK-based training to train the next generation of builders”.

A recent survey from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, published towards the end of last year, found that 75 per cent of contractors have been finding it hard to recruit skilled operatives.

Furthermore, a separate study investigating net zero skills among supply chain firms found that 96 per cent were affected by skilled labour shortages.

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