According to Peter Rowe, contracts director for CA Roofing Services, we are at a turning point and, unless we take decisive action now to encourage more people into this sector, there may be tricky times ahead.
As the construction industry continues to grow, skilled, committed workers are more sought after than ever before, placing them in a strong position to earn a premium for a hard day’s work. But with a myriad of factors altering the employment landscape the numbers seeking this type of work are diminishing.
The reputation we have built over more than 30 years in the industry means that, unlike many of our competitors, the large majority of our workforce is made up of operatives who have been with us for 5 – 10 years. They have been trained by the business and they know the standards we expect and work to them, under the close guidance of our site supervisors.
However, when the opportunity comes to increase our work load we look at what restricts us as a business and the biggest challenge we face is finding additional, quality manpower.
One of the key issues is that, for those involved in the roofing and cladding trade, the only practical training available is on the job. Anyone wanting to train as an electrician or a plumber, for example, can complete a recognised 3-5 year course complete with college attendance, while serving an apprenticeship, and come out at the end of their time with a qualification that actually means something.
There is no such course available to those wishing to gain a meaningful qualification or training within the roofing and cladding industry. And yet with manufacturers developing a range of roofing systems, which are made up of a wide variety of components that require a certain level of skill to navigate and install, surely there is a case for such a qualification?
Quality control
Our response to the problem has been to adopt a number of quality control systems, with multiple check points which have to be signed off before work can move to the next stage. With many sub contractors employed on a ‘lump sum’ price, the more material they can put down the more money they earn, so there is a danger that for them speed takes priority over quality. In order to mitigate this risk, our supervisors and site managers constantly oversee the quality of the work and, if it is not up to standard, the work has to be redone or ultimately we have to let the operative go.
Evidently, the role of the site manager and supervisor is critical and we work closely with our senior site operatives training them and helping to develop their careers to ensure they are fully equipped to manage the teams on site. We currently have around 16 site supervisors/site managers rising through the ranks, eight of which have no previous experience in cladding but who have all the necessary skills for this particular role.
Having such a robust framework in place for managing the site benefits everyone involved. The better organised we are and the more stringent our quality control, the less need there is for work to be repeated and the quicker work can proceed, meaning we can stick to our contractually agreed timings and the workers can get more work done, for which they will earn more money.
Fostering new talent
The changing nature of the UK jobs market also plays a significant role in effecting the number of potential candidates for the construction industry to draw upon. In the 60s and 70s industry was a key part of the UK landscape. Children would grow up in families of coal miners and factory workers and so it wasn’t such a great leap for them to consider such a role for themselves. Today, many young people coming into the jobs market don’t have that contact and don’t want to work on a building site in the mud, wind and rain, opting instead for retail and office-based jobs. We end up a nation of pickers and packers.
To address this we have been doing some work with local schools to try to start the conversation and put construction on the radar of those pupils who do not want to go on to higher education. We have a number of apprentices at CA and a few have taken on the role of company ambassadors. They are going through the process so they are perfectly positioned to talk about why construction is a good sector to work in.
The message is clear: in construction you can earn a good living without the need for qualifications.
Of course, there is an additional challenge that some main contractors will not allow trainees under the age of 18 on site. So there is a two-year gap from them leaving school to when potential candidates are able to start earning money, by which time we have lost them to another industry, and so the cycle continues.
At CA we have been trialing a young persons risk assessment on site and we have a number of trainees under 18 years old working with us. A good building site, which is well managed and controlled, is a safe place to work. But not all main contractors apply the same high standards on site and this is a key factor when considering the employment of young workers as they have to be supervised at all times, which can be limiting when time is of the essence.
Companies generally teach the trainees in the way that they see fit. Like everything else in life, if they teach them well from early age they will go on to do well.
We have had a lot of success with trainees and have had people rise through the business from having no experience to being members of the senior team.
It is crucial that we address the current – and future – skills shortage issue in the industry. The loss of workers to retirement combined with the erosion of future candidates by other sectors will leave us with a very limited workforce.
Bespoke or accredited training for roofing and cladding installation could bridge the gap for school leavers, providing companies operating in this sector with access to vital fresh talent – and renewed optimism for a productive roofing and cladding industry moving forward.