The pandemic has led to various layoffs in the construction industry. It’s estimated that about 40% of construction firms had to lay off employees to survive, and over a million contractors had to lose their jobs in the first month of the pandemic alone.
This has left many construction companies scrambling to find ways to stay afloat and has increased competition for jobs. In addition, the pandemic has also caused a decrease in the demand for new construction projects. These factors have made it difficult for construction companies to find work and have forced many to downsize. What makes it worse is that all these things lead to a skills shortage in the industry.
Skills Shortage
The construction industry has had a skills shortage for years, but the pandemic has exacerbated it—the skills shortage results from the lack of qualified workers in the industry. As a result, not enough people have the necessary skills to fill the available jobs. This is a problem because it leads to fewer projects being completed and makes it difficult for construction companies to find qualified employees.
There are several ways to solve the skills shortage in construction. One way is to provide training and education for those interested in working in the industry.
Training For Current Workers
One way to solve the skills shortage is to provide training for current workers and job seekers. Construction firms can do this by offering courses at community colleges or online. In addition, several organizations provide training, such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which offers a variety of courses for both current workers and job seekers.
In addition, many construction companies offer on-the-job training. This type of training can be beneficial because it allows workers to learn while working. It also allows them to earn a paycheck while they are learning.
Training might be one of the best options when dealing with entry-level jobs, but it doesn’t suffice when a degree is required, like for the field of engineering. For this, construction firms have to rely on outsourcing services to help them out.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing recruitment is nothing new for construction companies. It’s been a common practice for years. Construction companies have outsourced their recruitment to agencies that specialize in finding qualified workers. These agencies help fill the skills shortage by finding qualified workers who can start working immediately.
Outsourcing is one of the best ways to fill specialty jobs requiring a degree and advanced skills in construction like engineering. For example, the expertise of field service engineering is necessary for a project to function correctly, but it’s rarely filled up through the traditional approach.
It’s partially because it’s such an on-demand job. However, through outsourcing, field service engineering jobs can now be filled by firms in a matter of months. In addition, recruitment agencies have a network of qualified engineers that they can tap into and that construction firms can hire, making the entire process faster.
One of the benefits of outsourcing is that it helps speed up the process of finding qualified employees. It also helps to ensure that construction companies can find the best candidates for the job. In addition, outsourcing provides construction companies with access to a larger pool of candidates than they could find on their own.
Outsourcing is a good option for construction companies struggling to find qualified employees. However, it’s important to remember that outsourcing is only a temporary solution. It’s not a long-term solution to the skills shortage.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are another way to solve the skills shortage in construction, and it’s a long-term solution to fixing the skills shortage. As stated earlier, on-the-job training is one way firms fix the skills shortage. Apprenticeships are a much more in-depth version of on-the-job training.
Apprenticeships are a type of job training that allows workers to learn a trade while working. They typically last for two to four years, and during that time, apprentices learn the skills needed to perform their job.
These apprenticeships are beneficial because they allow workers to earn a paycheck while learning. In addition, apprenticeships provide construction companies with a way to train their employees. This is especially helpful for small construction companies that might not have the resources to provide training on their own.
Apprenticeships are an excellent way to solve the skills shortage in construction because they provide workers with the opportunity to learn a trade while working.
Firms can solve the skills shortage in construction by offering on-the-job training, outsourcing recruitment services, and apprenticeships. By doing these things, your construction firm can find qualified employees and fill the skills shortage.