Future of work: Britain requires 250,000 extra tradespeople by 2028 - top in-demand jobs revealed
- The number of tradespeople required per year has increased from previous estimates
- Seventy-seven per cent of young people aged 18 to 24 would never consider a job in construction
- As a result, the workforce is ageing, with 20 percent aged 55 and over
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If you’ve tried to get a plumber, builder or electrician to your property in the last 12 months you’ll know how difficult it is to find one, never mind find one that has availability.
That’s because Britain’s construction sector is booming, with a return to growth expected in 2025, and as a result, 251,500 extra workers (50,300 per year) will be needed to meet output.
This signifies an increase from the 2023-27 outlook, where it was estimated that 44,890 additional workers per year were needed.
Additionally, the major sectors in demand are private housing, infrastructure, and repair and maintenance.
Britain’s construction sector is booming, with a return to growth expected in 2025, and as a result, 251,500 extra workers (50,300 per year) will be needed to meet output
And if these figures cannot be met, it will prevent new housing targets from being met, further escalating the UK’s chronic housing shortage—compared to other European countries, the UK has a backlog of approximately four million homes missing from the housing market.
Why the disconnect?
Despite the fact that tradespeople in the UK can command promising salaries of up to £41,876 per year on average, a massive part of the shortage problem is lack of recruitment into the sector.
According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), 20 per cent of the construction workforce were aged 55 and over in 2011. Additionally, there was a 13 per cent increase in the numbers of workers aged 45 years and over in the construction industry between 1991 and 2011.
Separate YouGov data has uncovered that almost 7 in 10 adults wouldn’t even think about joining the construction sector, only 3 per cent think construction is an important sector to work in, 3 per cent think construction is well-paid and again, only 3 per cent would be impressed with construction as a career if discussed.
When it comes to younger people about to embark on their careers, the situation is just as stark: 77 per cent of full-time students aged between 18 and 24 would not consider a career in construction, further magnifying the skills gap.
Investment in training and apprenticeships is one way to create a pipeline of skilled workers now and in the future
Building blocks
So, what can the government do to curtail the problem and pave the way for a more stable future within the sector?
Investment in training and apprenticeships is one way to create a pipeline of skilled workers now and in the future.
It takes between two and four years to train as an electrician, and while a traditional plumber apprenticeship takes up to four years, a fast-track plumbing course takes between four and 16 weeks to complete.
Construction apprenticeships often take between one and five years to complete, and as an entry-level apprentice, you can pursue one or more building specialisations, including bricklaying, construction design, and quantity surveying.
Facilitating overseas workers is another strategy that could encourage skilled workers from around the globe to relocate to the UK in an effort to bridge the gap (foreign-born workers made up over a fifth of the employed population in 2024).
Currently, the skilled worker visa lasts up to five years, and workers must have a job lined up and have secured sponsorship through an employer. It is also financially prohibitive in that the application itself costs from £719 to £1,639, (this is reduced to £719 to £1,420 for certain job titles) with an additional healthcare surcharge of £1,035 per year.
Applicants must also be able to prove they have £1,270 available in savings to cover their cost of living when they first arrive.
