Roofing

Contractor’s Column
A Career in Construction – Shout it
from the Rooftops!
Tony Burke, Managing Director at Avonside Group Services
Over the last two years or so, it has been no secret that the recovery in
the construction sector has thrown the previous lack of investment in
achieving a skilled workforce into sharp contrast. Whilst this was
understandable, and in many cases a matter of survival, it nevertheless
left our sector exposed to any kind of recovery.
Indeed, such was the speed and scale of the initial recovery, it was
assumed that a shortage of skilled trades across the sector would provide
a significant brake on further acceleration.
Eighteen months on, although skilled tradespeople are still at a premium,
the scale of the shortages would appear to be more manageable than
feared in those early months - albeit at a cost to the bottom line. It is also
the case that as roofing contractors we are having to work harder, and be
more imaginative, to maintain our levels of installation resource.
Initiatives such as apprenticeships and training schemes are subjects I
will return to in future columns, but in focusing purely on these areas (as
vital as they are) there is a danger that we ‘put the cart before the horse’.
Because of course if we fail to attract new entrants into the sector in the
first place, there will be nobody to train and benefit from such schemes!
When we take a step back and look at the general image of the
construction sector, I believe we have sold ourselves short for far too
long. Yes, our industry is cyclical, and is amongst the first to feel any
chill winds but, conversely, we are always at the forefront of any recovery
– as has been the case this time.
Furthermore, there are deep-rooted, structural issues that should act to
underpin the strength of our industry in the years to come; for example,
the imbalance between the numbers of dwellings required and our
apparent capacity to build. At current levels we are at least 100,000
dwellings below levels of demand year on year and this is in addition to
historic shortfalls.
As is always the case during difficult economic conditions, businesses
seek to reduce their cost base wherever practical, and the knife is
typically applied to non-essential maintenance of building fabric.
Once again, after such a long recession it is safe to assume that a
backlog of repair work exists that will take time to tackle.
If we overlay normal levels of building and construction activity
that support a recovering and stabilising economy, then all the
indicators would point to a sustained period of recovery within the
construction sector for the foreseeable future, barring any further
seismic shocks.
So how are we responding?
There are many organisations and individuals out there doing
fantastic work by developing new initiatives. Within the Avonside
Group we have set targets to create apprenticeships each year; we
are also considering the recruitment of management trainees.
But where is the coordinated plan on behalf of the industry, and in
particular the roofing sector, to attract the best young talent into
the workforce?
How many of us can honestly say we have encouraged our
youngsters to enter our sector, or indeed engaged with schools in
order to position our industry and the skills we need within a
coherent package that offers an ongoing career path to today’s
youngsters? And if we don’t, how can we expect parents or
advisors to?
In my opinion, we need a clear route into the sector, and also a
path to continual self-improvement, supported by progressive
qualifications for people of any age and gender. We should also look
to be innovative and try to help disadvantaged youngsters. We
should entice them into our industry, develop them and train them
to make a positive contribution and support themselves and their
future families.
This is a win-win scenario
There are numerous charitable organisations involved in this type
of work, and with some creativity we can tap into this potential,
harness the incentives that government will inevitably bring
forward as part of its commitment to increase apprenticeships and
position ourselves as both a sector, and as individual businesses
that can offer real career fulfilment and long term satisfaction.
The recruitment of new blood into our industry is critical to the
longevity of businesses like ours; we need to recognise that we are
in a competition to attract the best possible entrants into our
sector. Whilst it is something that every contractor business needs
to confront and determine its strategy, promoting its key strengths
and attractions; surely there is also a need for a wider and more
coherent approach for our sector as a whole.
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