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How material shortages could effect you

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 11:15:03 GMT

Why cant the UK get materials?

"build back better" has been a message put out by the Government during the current Covid 19 Pandemic and the UK has taken this very literally as we have seen a massive increase in demand for construction over the past year

Construction output has been forecasted to raise 12.9% in 2021 and 5.2% in 2022 which puts more pressure on the supplying of materials needed to complete these jobs

The massive increase of supply has come at a bad time for the UK given the current pandemic compared with the effects of Brexit

Shipping costs from Asia have increased 500% between June 2020 and June 2021 making the cost. Overall shipping costs remained around 10% higher in the same time period

so why cant the UK get materials?

There have been global supply issues as it seems that construction demand has risen all over the world. The countries that provide the materials we need are now more reluctant to sell them as they are using them for their own construction projects.

Raw materials like Steel and Timber are expected to stay inflated for the foreseeable future unlike materials like Cement which should be able to respond to the high demand as its produced mainly in the UK

The UK's departure from the EU has been cited as one of the main shortages in labour and materials. am already existing shortage of materials could be made worse on January 1st when the UK will stop recognising the European CE Certification of products

Products will need a UKCA marking, this can be obtained through getting a product tested in a UK Facility, a process which can cost as much as £50,000

What effects do material shortages cause the UK

The UK has been experiencing a materials shortage which could collide with the labour shortages we are expecting as we get closer to the summer holidays.

the low supply has stemmed from global demand mixed with external factors like Covid leading to the closure of factories outside of the UK

As the demand is picking up, key materials like steel are remaining in short supply and will continue to raise if the demand continues. Constriction firms have been advised to better ration their resources and save the materials for bigger jobs with larger impact if the right materials are not supplied

As you can see from this graph the materials have shot up in value and don't look like they are stopping yet

Raw materials may be hard to find for the next few month and some will be able to come back into supply sooner than others.

How can the material shortage be solved?

Unfortunately one of the ways to increase the raw material shortage is by increasing prices. This makes buying the raw materials only useful for the people who need them and will lower overall demand allowing the market to build up again.

Another unfortunate way to solve the problem is to just wait for more materials to be made. Depending on what you need this could take a few months or over a year before you see materials going back to the old prices but eventually demand will fall and result in a lower price in the future

Some companies are campaigning for the government to support the industry or many fear it could result in the closure of many businesses

Many analysts are hopeful that materials will return to their previous prices (most within a few months). Everyone will have to work together in the construction industry to assure we all survive it through this rough period

New changes to the construction industry - How labour shortages could affect us in years to come

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 10:51:13 GMT

What causes a labour shortage?

In recent times you may have found it hard to find labourers with the same ease as before. so what's causing this?

There are a variety of factors that have caused this and when combined together we have seen a massive dip in the amount of workers willing to go to work, while maintaining the current need for labourers

outside of the construction industry the population has seen a drop in fertility rate while raising life expectancy, this has resulted in 14.7 million people in the UK aged over 60. this pairs up with 19% of the construction industry set to retire within the next 5 - 10 years

With such a large section of the construction industry nearing retirement its clear that physical risk of working is becoming a key factor making inhibiting workers. Studies also lean towards long hours, frequency of travel and the difficulty of combining work with caring responsibilities as reasons why they no longer wish to work in the industry.

A 2015 study found 63% of labourers stated access to work was a key issue, and 70% stated changes to public transport would significantly improve commuting.

How can the construction industry get more labourers

E mployment agencies should better utilise the workers they have by allowing older workers to have more of a mentoring role on the young

The construction has an urgent need to invest in upcoming young workers and what better way to learn than from the people who have done construction their whole lives?

Retiring labourers will be required to transfer knowledge and skills to younger workers in the industry as a way to invest in the future of construction

the construction industry currently does not have enough investing in development of the young and with an abundance of knowledge from the old it would be a shame to let this opportunity go untaken. As well as teaching the skills of construction, more young people also need to be interested in the industry instead of thinking of it as just hard hats and high vis clothing.

Its clear to see from these figures not enough young people are interested in the industry and with better investment in transferring of skills you may see higher numbers of youngsters interested in the industry

How to get young people into construction?

As the need for labourers continues to grow we are finding less and less people willing to do the work. Its now becoming more evident the UK needs to invest in youth if it wishes to avoid even more issues in the future.

Young people no want easier jobs and care less about manual labour, its seen as more beneficial to go to Uni or have opportunities to learn through apprenticeship schemes.

it is currently possible to get apprenticeships in construction but it seems not enough investment is being put into it. Construction is perceived in a bad light and the government needs to invest in changing public perception of what it means to work in construction.

One big factor in the recruitment pool is male workers dominating the industry, this makes pursuing a career as a labourer a lot more difficult for female workers. Schools should work with the government to assure a positive view of the industry is made for boys and girls across the UK.

Having more females available for work would massively increase the total number of workers.

Other problems like long hours and poor pay would also help attract more workers if improved. we may see a climb in labour rates in the future as labourers become more scarce.

To conclude

There are many factors influencing the drop in Labour workers across the UK and it is important to see better youth and gender development being enforced by government policies, construction groups and by changing peoples current perception of the business.

More room for letting the old coach the young would be ideal for nurturing a new generation of workers excited for construction. The future of construction will have to be influenced by the teaching available for the young so focus on future development for be a concern for all people with a stake in construction.

Digital CSCS Cards

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 11:00:02 GMT

How do I get a virtual CSCS Card?

The construction industry is continuing to innovate and now accepts digital CSCS cards. These cards are on the My CSCS app on Smartphone or Tablet. This new technology makes it easier for construction workers and site owners to send and receive qualifications, new digital CSCS cards will allow workers to more easily apply for online opposed to going to recruitment offices which minimises the risk of Covid 19 spread.

Can you apply for Digital CSCS Card online?

CITB have introduced an online version of the HSA course(health and safety awareness). The online course can be used to apply for the green Labourer card.

Now the course can be completed entirely online and will qualify you with RQF level 1 you can also work to achieving a CITB or HSA course.

Completing qualifications online now provides much more flexibility to workers and allows them to gain their CSCS qualifications online from anywhere in the world. You need a CSCS Card to work on most construction sites in the UK. CSCS Card stands for Construction Skills Certification Scheme.

How do I book my test?

You can book online or call the booking line on 0344 994 4488. Booking a CSCS Card test will cost you £21 and will require a national insurance number or a CITB or CSCS number

How many CSCS Cards are there?

CSCS Cards are certifications in the construction industry designed to prove a workers ability to work safely on a construction site. based on the qualifications and job a construction worker is looking to receive they may need different types of CSCS Card .

there are twelve different types of CSCS Cards with 7 different colours acting as proof of a construction workers qualifications and skills in their chosen role.

So what CSCS cards can you get?

Green CSCS Cards: Construction Site Operative / Labourer
Blue CSCS Card: Skilled Worker
Gold CSCS Card: Skilled Worker
Black CSCS Card: Senior Manager
White/Grey CSCS Cards: Construction Related Occupation
Yellow/White CSCS Card: Professionally Qualified Person
Yellow CSCS Card: Regular Visitor
Red CSCS Card: Trainee
Red CSCS Card: Graduate
Red CSCS Card: Experienced

5 Ways To Cope With Covid In Construction

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 09:32:31 GMT

1. Get Rid of Germs

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