There are differences in the construction industry in the different European countries in Europe and in different regions in the same country. But the issues and challenges facing the industry in different countries are remarkably similar.
The Green Transition which I examined in the last blog in this series is just one of the challenges facing the European Construction Industry. The industry in Europe is facing severe skills shortages, affecting its growth and ability to meet current and future demands. The following challenges and trends have been identified:
- General Skills Shortages Across the Industry: There is an acute skills shortage across the construction industry in Europe, which is limiting growth. Difficulty in delivering projects due to these shortages is a common issue, with about 41% of construction companies citing this as a reason for a negative outlook on revenues. To combat this, there is a push to attract more young people to apprenticeships, especially in specialist professions such as conservation stonemasons, master joiners, lead workers, and gilders.
- Demand for Specific Professions: There is an increased need for more highly professionals such as field engineers, superintendents, project managers, safety and quality managers, architects, and engineers. Recruiting staff from younger generations is seen as vital for addressing these needs. There is also a significant demand for building frame and related trades workers, building finishers, and painters or building structure cleaners.
- Impact of Technology and Sustainability: The industry is evolving with a focus on technology, sustainability, and people. Skills in areas like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and off-site manufacturing are becoming increasingly in demand. Companies are also investing in training existing staff to meet these new demands.
- Gender Imbalance: The construction workforce is predominantly male, with only 2% of construction workers being women as of 2021. This suggests a potential area for increasing workforce diversity.
- Replacing Retiring Workers: An estimated 4.1 million people will be needed by 2035 to replace retiring workers in addition to new job growth. This underlines the significant challenge of maintaining a skilled workforce in the long term.
- Industry Image Problems: The construction industry suffers from a poor reputation, which impacts the influx of new talent. Addressing this image problem is crucial for attracting new employees.
- Emerging Technology: The construction industry is increasingly adopting technology to improve efficiency and safety. This includes the use of drones, wearables, site sensors, and robotics. This shift requires new skills and training for the workforce.
Mobility in the construction industry is leading to pressure for mutual recognition of skills, competences and qualifications in the industry or to common qualifications, which can be underpinned by the common European ESCO occupational profiles and associated skills and knowledge.
The European construction industry is facing a multifaceted skills shortage that includes a need for both general and specialised labour, a gap in technological and sustainability-related skills, and challenges related to industry perception and gender diversity.
In the next article in this series, we will look at education and training for the construction industry and ideas of how to widen access and availability to training programmes.
Author: Grahan Attwell