Elaine Gilligan of K Systems argues why reversing the skills shortage could quicken the race to net-zero
Addressing the skills gap in the construction sector could bolster the industry’s efforts as it seeks to help the UK reduce carbon emissions.
Contractors here and across the world have a major role to play in helping nations achieve net-zero goals.
When it comes to External Wall Insulation (EWI), as a ‘fabric-first’ energy efficiency measure, it is a key method in tackling the amount of energy used to heat homes.
With the ability to contribute thermal comfort for occupants while also reducing energy usage and thereby carbon emissions, EWI is arguably the most thermally ideal and efficient method to insulate the walls of homes.
As a result, the Government has increased the funding accessible for fabric-first energy efficiency measures, such as EWI.
Added to the building safety funding made available to improve fire safety, there is a significant expansion in potential work.
However, this is all happening at a time when labour is in chronically short supply, with anecdotal evidence indicating some installers are managing a potential pipeline of work that is double their current capacity.
As a result, EWI installers need to pick and choose projects based on their installer network capacity. This is inevitably causing significant delays to overall EWI installation delivery and impacting progress towards carbon emission reduction and fire safety improvement goals.
There are a multitude of reasons. Taking the construction sector as a whole, almost a quarter of all construction workers are over 50, and as they reach retirement age, fewer people are entering the industry to replace them.
Recent research by City and Guilds found that only 7% of working people would consider a career in construction – dropping to 6% amongst 18-24-year-olds.
This is unwelcome news, as it has been predicted that the industry will need to recruit more than 216,000 new workers by 2025 to meet demand.
It is not just age, however. With many of those operating in the sector, including EWI, originating from outside the UK, the availability of labour has been impacted by the aftermath of Brexit and undoubtedly worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
New legislation, meanwhile, means that those hoping to come to the UK for work must already have a sponsor and be able to speak English to a basic level of competency.
For EWI, a skilled workforce is not just desired, it is essential.
Quality standards for energy efficiency measures are continuing to improve, with the recent adoption of PAS 2035 as a framework for energy efficiency measure installs and further refinement of PAS 2030 as the install quality standard.
Compliance with these standards on EWI installs is, by and large, a requirement to avail of the government and regional financial support eligible for the schemes.
Meeting PAS 2030 standard means that at least one in four of the installer operatives to be vocationally qualified, to an NVQ level with respect to EWI systems.
Warranty providers and EWI system designers also typically require installers to have received specific training for the exact products and systems being installed.
So, how do we tackle this issue?
Many leading contractors are already taking matters into their own hands, creating skills academies in collaboration with colleges.
Scottish-based AC Whyte for example operates its Energy Efficient Skills Academy in association with South Lanarkshire College and West College Scotland, an initiative which we are delighted to support with free materials and training.
Collaboration between industry and education providers is incredibly important and it is clear that these initiatives are playing a vital role in improving skills across the construction sector. But they are only part of the solution.
Elsewhere, greater support and funding to increase capacity within NVQ training centres is also required.
Above all, we must all work to make the construction sector more attractive to new recruits regardless of their background or previous perceptions of a career in the building trade.
The pipeline of available work is there, along with the opportunity to quicken the race towards net-zero – now we just need more people to help us get there.
Elaine Gilligan is marketing manager at K Systems