- Immigration regulations loosened to address skilled construction worker shortage
- Construction industry welcomes addition of occupations to shortage occupation list
- Greater training support needed to meet housing and employment goals
While welcoming, an industry group says more training is needed to accomplish housing and employment goals.
The shortage of skilled construction employees is being addressed by loosening post-Brexit immigration regulations.
The Home Office announced the addition of bricklayers, plasterers, roofers, and carpenters to the shortage occupation list (SOL).
This is the government-approved list of occupations that enable employers to address recruitment difficulties through immigration, which the government has pledged to restrict since the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and its obligations regarding freedom of movement.
There is a reduction in visa salary requirements and application fees for positions on the list.
It was previously extended to health and social care personnel, as well as butchers.
The government’s decision to support the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations regarding the construction industry is a nod to the industry’s recruitment difficulties since the exodus of workers began in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
After Brexit, many workers, mostly from Eastern Europe, left, and the COVID-19 outbreak made matters worse.
Since 2017, the ONS revealed that the construction industry had lost over a third of its EU-born workforce.
This year, an industry training council anticipated that 225,000 more personnel would be needed by 2027.
Homebuilders, who have struggled to find trained labour, will benefit from immigration reform.
Recent research conducted by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) revealed that 41% of members reported difficulties recruiting bricklayers, with nearly half of respondents deferring work due to skill shortages in general.
Another organization, the National Federation of Builders, stated, “It’s fantastic that the government is listening to the long-running campaign by industries to add these critically needed positions to the SOL.
Foreign employees continue to be necessary to make up for a shortage in the British construction workforce.
Both parties called for increased training to recruit domestic labour, citing the three-year duration of many apprenticeships.
The assistance comes at a time when the sector’s short-term goals are being impeded by rising interest rates.
Just last week, the largest homebuilder in the United Kingdom reduced its construction goals for 2024 by 20%.
The decision by Barratt Developments reflects falling home prices due to rising affordability concerns as the Bank of England’s rate increases to combat inflation weigh on demand.
This won’t help the government build 300,000 new homes annually by mid-decade.
According to latest ONS data, construction repairs and new orders dropped in the three months preceding up to May.
