08.08.13
Construction skills gap higher than UK average
The construction industry is facing a huge skills gap, with over 400,000 workers set to leave in the next five to ten years.
The Construction Industrial Training Board (CITB) warned that 19% of construction workers aged over 55s are set to retire in the next 5-10 years, and 24% of those aged 45-54 will leave in the next 10-20 years.
The East Midlands and the South West will be hit particularly badly, ONS figures showed, with 22% of over-55s set to retire. This trend is higher than other UK industries, with 17% of the whole UK workforce set to leave within the same timeframe.
CITB is encouraging employers to recruit young people to meet this skills gap.
Interim chief executive of CITB, William Burton, said: “Almost one in five workers is set to retire from the construction industry over the next 5-10 years, so not taking action now to encourage young people to join the industry – and investing in the training to up-skill our existing workforce – is no longer an option.
“The construction sector is essential for local and national economic growth and to avoid the similar skills crisis that affected the industry in the early 1990s, we urge employers to act now.”
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