The growing demand for post pandemic skilled construction workers

Recovery has been swift for the construction sector and, as a result, there is a growing demand for skilled workers to help the industry continue to thrive in a post-pandemic world. In fact, this year the industry is forecast to reach levels of output that are the same as in 2019, before COVID-19 hit the sector. This means that there is an increasing need for post-pandemic construction workers with the skills and experience to help drive projects forward into further growth.

How is the industry responding post-pandemic?

According to recent forecasts from the CITB, regions all over the UK are likely to experience this spike in demand for skilled construction workers, as projects continue to restart and pick up pace. This is going to result in the need for around 217,000 new workers to be recruited into the industry by 2025 just to meet current demand. That means there are currently many opportunities for construction workers keen to find new opportunities over the coming years – as well as concerns for employers in terms of skills gaps.

Demand is going to be nationwide

Forecasts show that areas across the country are going to experience a rise in the need for construction workers in the coming years, from 1.7% in the West Midlands to 1.4% in Scotland. There is going to be a clear need for organisations to adopt new approaches when it comes to recruitment and hiring, and to make investments – for example in apprenticeships and work experience – that will provide opportunities to bring new people into a business.

What is driving the growth?

Reopening of projects and general recovery is certainly having an impact on construction workflow across the board. Projects, such as HS2, are also responsible for spikes in growth in some regions. Some areas of construction are particularly strong and will continue to push up the need for skilled workers. Infrastructure and private housing are both earmarked to have the strongest expansion rates between now and 2025. Repair, maintenance, and improvement work is also going to create a lot of activity, and retrofitting buildings to make them more sustainable and geared towards net-zero goals is also going to create high levels of demand.

Some trades are going to be particularly sought after

While skilled construction workers everywhere are going to be in demand in the coming years there are some trades where this is going to be particularly acute. Wood trades and interior fit out, for example, are going to be skill sets that are especially sought after. Construction managers and technical staff are also going to be incredibly necessary as projects evolve and change, and there will also be a rise in the need for office-based professionals and IT support staff.
As the construction sector starts to boom once again, the need for skilled workers is going to become even more pressing to help ensure that the market can take full advantage of this potential for growth.

In a post-pandemic world, the construction industry offers something for almost everyone on the jobs front – these are just some of the roles that are available.

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