Bricklayer jobs the most difficult for construction companies to fill

Bricklayers, carpenters and joiners are the workers that small and medium construction companies have the greatest difficulty finding to fill jobs, according to new research.

The latest State of the Trade Survey for the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) found the sector was in good health, with 42% of companies reporting rising workloads and just 15% experiencing lower workloads.

However, a lack of available skilled workers remains a problem for the industry and has the potential to derail the growth plans of building contractors.

Almost half of the companies questioned for the survey said they had difficulty recruiting bricklayers, while more than 45% said they found it hard to find skilled carpenters and joiners.

Experienced site managers and supervisors were also difficult to recruit, while a quarter of companies reported that finding skilled plasterers and roofers was a problem.

Brian Berry, the FMB’s chief executive, warned that the skills shortage was damaging the otherwise “booming” building industry and slowing the pace of economic growth in the UK.

“Almost half of construction SMEs are struggling to recruit adequate numbers of bricklayers, with others finding it increasingly hard to hire carpenters and joiners, site managers and supervisors,” he said.

“Looking ahead, our members are reporting that their workloads are likely to rise over the coming three months which means the shortage of skilled workers will only become more acute.

“It also begs the question, how much stronger would the pace of growth in the UK construction industry be if we had an ample supply of skilled tradespeople?”

Mr Berry added that the Government had to ensure its plans for apprenticeships provided the right level of support to encourage SMEs to train more construction industry workers.

Kalcrest Site Services helps construction companies to find the right skills and can supply both experienced, reference-checked workers for short-term roles and shortlists of qualified staff for permanent jobs.

Call us on 01709 720348 or contact us via info@kalcrest.co.uk for more information about our recruitment services.