Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction
Nearly 85% of public sector construction managers, and 58% of private sector contractors and suppliers say the current skills shortage is negatively impacting the quality of their workmanship, as well as one in ten citing it as critically impacting their ability to keep to budget.
Sustainability in the Supply Chain, a new report from built environment specialist Scape Group which surveyed over 150 contractors, subcontractors and senior managers at public sector organisations highlighted the realities of a skills shortage that’s at “breaking point”.
Critically, the report highlights a juxtaposition between the public and private sector when it comes to how they define a healthy supply chain, and what their primary aims are. Within the public sector 70% of those surveyed felt that providing long-term benefits for the local economy should be one of the biggest priorities, compared to 58% within the private sector.
Similarly, 67% of those surveyed in the public sector believed that local skills and suppliers is the most important element, whereas those surveyed in the private sector saw operational stability and minimising waste as more important factors.
Mark Robinson, Scape Group Chief Executive, comments: “Our research has shown that the skills shortage is at breaking point, not only severely impacting the quality of what we are building but also our ability to build it on budget. While there is a mountain to climb to overcome this challenge, basic recommendations can be put in place to ease the burden, for example, 19% of contractors and subcontractors still do not have an apprenticeship scheme.”
