The property market in Bristol is buzzing with the number of transactions in the first half of the year the highest since 2005. In addition, a number of residential and commercial developments/refurbishments are currently underway to meet demand.
As a result, the industry is actively seeking to hire new staff, and this has highlighted a skills shortage throughout all areas of the property and construction sectors the Bristol Post reports.
The shortage includes all professions from plumbers, electricians, and bricklayers, to surveyors, architects, estimators and a host of other white collar professionals.
Consequently, once companies identify skilled candidates they have to work hard to attract and keep them. This means offering top salaries and big pay increases, which is a good situation for skilled workers to find themselves in but not so good for business.
Local property professionals agree that the cause of the shortage is the gap in recruitment and training during and following the recession. This has left the industry struggling to fill positions as the market improves.
If the picture in Bristol is typical of other areas in the country it could hinder growth and is something that must be addressed in order to expand capacity.
Summing up the problem Ryan Gardner, of recruitment firm Hays, said; “Given that the property industry was so badly hit by the downturn, many companies stopped hiring and stopped investing in training.
“Training has a key role to play here. Employers need to look at what skill sets they need now and what they are likely to need in the future and ensure training is in place to help up-skill workers.”
