‘High Demand’ for Construction Workers, Reflected in Rise in Vacancies
Recruitment market data has revealed that the continuous increase in job vacancies within the construction industry is not due to post-Brexit repercussions but due to a ‘high demand for workers’.
The number of opportunities for construction workers are continuing to surge, with a recent survey by specialist recruitment agency, Randstad, showing that the number of vacancies went up by 39% for roles within the industry in the first half of 2021.
Randstad also revealed that in the first half of 2020, there were approximately 8 applicants for every construction job listed, in comparison to the first half of 2021, where there were just 5 on average.
However, this stark contrast is not due to a decline in the number of applicants, but a rise in the number of vacancies – increasing by a massive 60%, according to Randstad.
Adrian Smith, senior director of operations at Randstad UK said: “We think the labour shortages we are seeing in the UK are not, on the whole, being driven by a dearth of EU labour following Brexit. The UK’s settlement scheme for residents of the EU had, by the end of May, received more than 5.6 million applications and at that point the programme still had a month to go. The ‘Brexodus’ hasn’t played out as we feared.
“Essentially, this is not primarily about a constriction in the supply of labour. Workers are back in power because of the success of the vaccine rollout and the removal of lockdown restrictions – and the resulting economic bounceback – even with construction output having fallen recently.”
This recent job boom makes it the perfect time to embark on a new career within the construction industry, or even train to become more of a specialist within the field. A full list of construction training courses is available at Complete Training Solutions can be found here, on our website. Alternatively, if you’d like some advice on taking the next steps in your career and choosing the right course for you, contact us today.
