Industry body calls for flexible immigration system as small housebuilders sound fears of impending skills shortage
The UK’s largest construction trade association has warned of an impending skills shortage that will hurt housing delivery and slow down new builds.
Research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) based on an annual survey of small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders found that 44 per cent said a shortage of skilled workers was a “major barrier” to their ability to build new homes – up two per cent on last year.
Asked to look ahead, firms said that a lack of skilled workers was more likely to be a barrier to construction thatnfinancial issues.
Brian Berry, the FMB’s chief executive, said: “Brexit, coupled with the end of free movement, threatens to further intensify the skills shortages we already face. Given that the UK will leave the EU in less than six months, house builders are understandably concerned that skills shortages could worsen and choke housing delivery.”
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“In order to combat this skills crisis, the construction industry needs to encourage more entrants into the industry and develop higher quality qualifications,” he added. “It is critical therefore that the Government doesn’t pull the rug out from under the sector by introducing an inflexible and unresponsive immigration system.”
The survey, based on 116 responses from SME firms, found that a lack of available and viable land was the mostly common cited barrier to construction, and that nearly two-thirds of builders felt opportunities for small-site developments were decreasing. Finance and the planning system were also cited as major barriers.