R&R 8958 48 July '16 cc

the fact is, simply, that we need foreign help to
build the number of houses and other
properties required.
Indeed, in 2014, 790,000 Polish people were
resident in the UK – the biggest group of
Europeans living here. After Brexit, new
Europeans eventually lose the automatic right
to work here unless we adopt the Norwegianstyle
position of being outside the EU but
agreeing to free movement. Or we could ‘play
Fact file
Construction Industry Training
Board figures say construction
workers from overseas are broken
down as follows:
Poland: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,120
Romania: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,842
Lithuania: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,569
India: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,704
Bulgaria: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,443
Laia: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,830
South Africa: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,316
Hungary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,448
Australia: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937
hardball’ and enforce a points based system
similar to Australia.
Reports issued in the last few months from the
CITB and the CIOB state that the UK simply
does not have enough home grown skilled
workers to cope with the volume of
construction growth anticipated over the
coming years. The Construction Industry
Training Board predicts that 230,000
construction jobs will be created in the UK
between now and 2020.
Figures from its Construction Skills Network
report show that of the 44,000 new jobs a year
predicted before 2020, 2,870 will be for
bricklayers, 4,320 for carpenters and interiors
fitters and 2,510 for building envelope
specialists. And while the CITB is pushing to
increase the construction skills base with a
£7.5million investment in training and the
launch of new website Go Construct, in the
short and medium term the skilled
workforce needs to come from elsewhere.
The Chartered Institute of Building, in
its 2015 report: An analysis on
migration in the construction sector,
describes the three options available
to meet the CITB’s employment
forecast. “Import from a ready supply
of foreign talent, invest in training
and development of UK citizens, or
redesign the construction process,”
are their suggestions. Actis’
Matthew King responded, saying: “All three of
these seem a sensible combination – the first
two are self explanatory while the final one
provides an exciting way forward, and one
which is already seeing momentum build. And
that’s moving away from brick and block and
focusing more on off site construction. The
fact that these are quicker to construct, thus
requiring fewer man hours, and have a greater
percentage of elements which require less
highly skilled workers, could ease some of the
burden of having fewer staff on the
ground.”
The report goes on: “Some migration into and
out of the country is both inevitable and
desirable for contractors as it helps to dampen
the volatility in the labour market. While
construction will need to recruit migrant
workers to cope with the upswing in work, the
opportunity is there to train many more UK
youngsters.”
Moving on: regarding the drop in the value of
the Pound, this will be good for UK exports.
This view has very much been echoed by The
Lord Bamford, Chairman of JCB, who wrote an
open letter to all his employees and pensioners
towards the beginning of June whereby he
reassures the reader that “JCB will continue to
trade with Europe, irrespective of whether we
remain in or leave the EU.” He goes on to point
out that EU countries account for 22 per cent
of his company’s turnover. The other 78 per
cent comes from the UK, India, the Americas,
Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and
the Far East.
At the end of the day, the main factors driving
the relentless increase in property prices are
the rising population, shortage of supply and
record low mortgage rates. Simon Tyler, of
Tyler Mortgage Management, sees little
chance of a housing price crash: “Britain
has a chronic shortage of housing
that will drive up prices for many
years too come.” Regarding
the predicted tumble in
London’s property
market,
: Actis’ Matthew King believes that
offsite construction is the way
forward to bypass the skills
shortage and speed up construction
foreign investors will continue to buy as the
Friday drop in Sterling’s value currently offers
them several per cent more for their money.
Ultimately, it seems that it is disaffected people
like my friend the carpenter – and millions
more in Labour heartlands - who voted to leave
the EU. They want a better life, a chance for
their children to earn a decent wage. Too many
Brits had had enough of competing for
underpaid work, of the government not
listening to and acting on their behalf. In the
end, the only way they could try and make our
establishment listen was, on June 23rd, to join in
protest on the day the people roared.
July / August 2O16 issue 8958 refurb| RENEW 11