Sustainability has taken the headlines in driving the agenda for the construction industry, but a worsening labour shortage is just as critical to its future. Julian Venus, Business Development Director of Aquarian Cladding Systems discusses how offsite will be a key driver to reducing the skills shortage.
For any industry to be sustainable it needs to evolve both organically and by bringing in new, fresh ideas. It is therefore essential that we encourage not only young, dynamic talent but also re-skill those who've reached a cul-de-sac in their careers in other industries.
The construction industry's perennial struggle is engaging with young people and thinking 'outside of the box' in terms of our message of encouragement to them to join us.
That continuous failure to encourage more labour now means that whereas a reduction in time on-site used to be the greatest driver in the industry, it's now people. If we can't find the people to do the work then the materials must do the work instead, which is why offsite manufacturing is a huge part of the solution. In it we have the perfect vehicle to engage the next generation in joining our industry.
Generation Z – born between 1997 and 2012 – represent the biggest generation yet, with around 1.3 billion of them expected to join the global workforce over the next 10 years. Attracting and recruiting them into the industry to take advantage of their skills, however, won't be easy. When many think of construction they see it through a very narrow window – namely that working conditions are unpleasant and roles are low skilled, low paid, and for people who don't go to college.
We need to get the message out that our industry is the second highest paid sector in the UK, and it is a multibillion-pound industry that offers amazing opportunities for personal development and a career for life in lots of diverse roles. Instead of seeing a construction site and the muck and mud, we need them to look past that – and the best way to do that is through offsite methods.
Our industry is changing because of offsite manufacture, which will be responsible for building homes for the future, schools and universities to produce future world leaders, research labs to find cures for the modern world's illnesses and to prevent environmental disasters, green energy plants for cleaner fuel, and transport hubs to enable us to explore the world.
Offsite construction and volumetric modular systems present an exciting future with the use of state-of-theart technology, and the introduction of sophisticated technology such as virtual reality, augmented reality, imaging drones, and 3D printing. It also means more modern working conditions, with hours on-site drastically reduced as structures are built in controlled, safe, settings rather than outdoors. And with the Government committed to hitting sustainability targets such as net zero by 2050, offsite will also help futureproof our environment and assist in decarbonising the sector.
For our industry to recover and grow post-pandemic, we have got to re-skill individuals looking for a change in career and engage with the younger generation living in England right now – and offsite is a key opportunity to do exactly that.
For more information visit: www.aquariancladding.co.uk
Read the full article, go to Offsite Magazine
