Construction

Shortage of Skilled Labourr; Recently the AGC reported that 8 out of 10 contracting companies had trouble recruiting qualified staff to fill essential roles. The same study found that 56 percent of contractors are worried that their employees don’t have the training they need to become skilled labor.

It seems the United States is experiencing the most significant skilled labor shortage since 2016, and it’s not the only nation facing these problems. Of course, if you’re a company owner, you know that already — you have felt the pain.

The UK has faced similar problems, mainly due to inadequate preparation for qualified employees in the area of education. New Zealand too is not far behind. It’s nevertheless a challenge not limited to a single sector. All industries, such as construction and manufacturing, which require skilled workers, face the same problem.

It is very alarming as more and more positions remain empty each year. This leads to the suspension of programs which can have significant consequences on a company facing increased demands. Unfortunately, solving this, too, is not an easy task. There are many hypotheses about why such a scarcity occurs.

• Not too surprisingly, a low rate of unemployment appears to influence the ability of a business to attract skilled labor. Despite unemployment falling in December 2018 to 4.1 percent, employers have found that there are still not enough qualified employees willing to fill jobs. Many workers with the skills have already found employment, and there do not appear to be enough younger employees with skills needed to fill new positions. That takes us on to the next possible cause.
• The aging population is probably one of the main reasons for the lack of skilled labor. High schools and colleges are not as much interested in delivering opportunities for trade jobs as they were in the past. This poses a serious problem now that we have reached a point where the retirement of the aging professional labor force is due. There are simply not enough eligible young people left to fill the roles they leave behind.

With so many possible triggers, a robust solution is needed for the problem. Again, it is not an easy problem to solve. There are however some possible solutions that could solve the problem in the long run.

• Temporary labor staffing agencies-with an emphasis on skilled construction jobs-provide access to the freshest pool of skilled labor for the construction industry. Whatever the cause of your lack of manpower, a good temporary agency will provide you with qualified, motivated employees to get your business back on track. True North Labour is your one-stop for all the staffing needs you require. This is one of the best temporary employment agencies particularly for the construction sector which provides you, employees, according to high industry standards. Since it’s the only temporary staffing agency that checks its applicants according to ITA requirements before recruiting them as staff. True north labor provides the demand with skilled construction workers. Our goal is to provide impeccable attention and personal dedication to unrivaled client service. Connect extra staff when they’re needed.  Call us in an emergency or when you’re planning a project. Whether it’s a week or a year, combine your worksite with trained and screened True North Labour staff for the duration of your project.

• Instead of depending on the diminishing returns that trade schools offer, companies should concentrate on designing their training programs. This can be as simple as teaching the fundamentals of trade to generate interest, by addressing the more advanced aspects of the position. Although this involves an investment on the part of the organization, it often hires new workers in terms of time and resources. A strong training program creates a recruitment funnel when linked into the first solution which attracts enthusiastic employees and equips them with the required skills.

• Another way to attract more people into learning a trade is by giving them a better experience in the workplace. The benefits attached to a position are also one of the primary deciding factors for applicants. Many who find skilled labor can be dissuaded by companies that are unable to deliver a work climate that suits the alternatives. Essentially, you ought to make this job more attractive. Embrace new technology and offer equipment such as tablets in the trucks and Atex mobile phones to your team. Certain rewards include providing insurance coverage and a good package of benefits, all of which can help attract more willing applicants. Again, this allows the organization to invest. Yet the payoff lies in recruiting the skilled labor required to keep the business running.

There is no one  to be blamed for the lack of skilled labor in the US or Europe. Certainly, the rise of tech-centric industries seems to play a role, as do the rising expectations of the youth. Compounding the problem is the lack of emphasis the educational system puts on professional trades. 

Settling the issue requires a more positive approach on the part of those in the commercial industries. It will be a good start to target a younger and more enthusiastic workforce with your recruitment efforts, particularly when accompanied by the promise of training.