The UK construction industry could lose almost 200,000 workers from the European Union If the Brexit negotiations mean that the country loses access to the single market, it is suggested.
It would put some of the country’s biggest infrastructure and construction projects under threat, according to new research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
It points out that currently some 8% of UK construction workforce comes from the EU and it means that 176,500 jobs could be under threat, jeopardising a predicted £500 billion project pipeline in an industry that already has a skills shortage.
RICS has cautioned that for Brexit to succeed, it is essential to secure continued access to the EU single market or to put alternative plans in place to safeguard the future of the property and construction sectors in the UK.
At the same time some 30% of construction professionals surveyed revealed that hiring non-UK workers was important to the success of their businesses and construction professions have not yet been added to the UK Shortage Occupations List.
RICS is warning that this could already be placing the UK’s predicted £500 billion infrastructure pipeline under threat and must be addressed as a priority. When asked about the effectiveness of current plans to address the UK’s long term skills shortages, some 20% of respondents to a RICS poll felt that apprenticeship schemes were not effective at all.
‘These figures reveal that the UK construction industry is currently dependent on thousands of EU workers. It is in all our interests that we make a success of Brexit, but a loss of access to the single market, has the potential to slowly bring the UK’s £500 billion infrastructure pipeline to a standstill,’ said Jeremy Blackburn, head of UK policy at RICS.
‘That means that unless access to the single market is secured or alternative plans are put in place, we won’t be able to create the infrastructure needed to enable our cities to compete on a global stage. We have said before that this is a potential stumbling block for the Government, which is working to deliver both its Housing White Paper and Industrial Strategy,’ he pointed out.
Blackburn explained that a simple first step would be to ensure that construction professions, such as quantity surveyors, feature on the UK Shortage Occupations List and the need to deliver a construction and property industry that is resilient to future change and can withstand the impact of any future political or economic shocks needs to be addressed in terms of growing the domestic skills base.
‘As the industry’s professional body, we are working with Government and industry to develop that skills base, building vital initiatives, such as degree apprenticeships, in our sector to drive the talent pipeline forward. This survey reveals that more work needs to be done to promote the indisputable benefits of these schemes to industry, RICS intends to take this forward as a priority,’ he added.
According to Stephen Bartle, head of commercial and business development at the University College of Estate Management, a good place to start is increasing skilled workers in the UK through vocational education and apprenticeships.
‘The introduction of the apprenticeship levy provides the perfect opportunity for companies to up-skill their existing staff and to introduce new talent into the sector. Employing apprentices and training them on the job in Built Environment disciplines provides them with skills that are immediately relatable to the workplace, meaning we can begin to grow our workforce almost immediately,’ he said.
‘To combat the upcoming skills deficit, we need to focus on vocational education and ensure that skilled talent continues to enter all areas of the industry, at all levels,’ he added.
