Construction needs to encourage older workers to remain in the industry and harness their knowledge to help reduce the skills gap, says the CIOB.
The CIOB’s second report exploring the effects of the ageing population on the construction industry makes the core conclusion that we need to “view the ageing population positively, despite the phenomenon presenting a number of challenges for the construction industry”.
However, despite the introduction of the Equality Act 2010 to combat discrimination in the workplace, fewer members are aware of the ageing population now compared with 2009, when the CIOB’s last report on the subject was published.
Of the 994 CIOB members that responded, 68% said they were aware of challenges of an ageing population compared to 76% in 2009.
Bridget Bartlett, deputy chief executive of the CIOB, commented: “The findings from this report indicate that the impact of the ageing population and the role of the ageing workforce have slipped down the agenda.”
The report finds that employers need to overcome stereotypes to keep older workers in the industry, with 57% of respondents stating that it was “very important” to retain ageing workers.
However, very few companies have policies in place designed to actually encourage retention. Only 24% use flexible working to help retain ageing workers, 18% use succession planning, 9% adapt job descriptions and 11% carry out retirement planning seminars.
| Percentage of respondents who acknowledge that their company used the following measures to help retain ageing workers |
|
| Flexible working (eg job sharing) | 24% |
| Succession planning | 18% |
| Adaptation of job descriptions | 9% |
| Training for line managers to manage an ageing workforce | 3% |
| Mid-life career reviews | 3% |
| Retirement planning seminars | 11% |
| None | 21% |
| Don’t know | 8% |
| Other | 4% |
The need to learn from the older members of the industry is another focus of the report, with 97% of respondents believing mentoring to be either valuable or very valuable.
However, only 63% of firms said mentoring of younger workers by experienced colleagues was a regular feature in their place of work, with respondents pointing towards the difficulties obtaining high-calibre staff as the reason such schemes didn’t exist.
Bartlett said: “Employers must recognise the skills of their existing workers and put in measures such as flexible working, career reviews or even retirement planning to encourage longer working lives. As our own research tells us, skills shortages in construction are compounded by those entering the industry not being suitably qualified for the position. We should take this opportunity to use older workers to tap into their skills and knowledge and ensure they are passed onto the next generation.”
She added: “However, if construction is to meet the skills crisis it faces and fill the 224,000 vacancies needed by 2019, employers should look to take additional steps to overcome the skills shortages they incur by reaching out to older workers.”
| Percentage of respondents who offer workplace mentoring | |
| Yes | 63% |
| No | 30% |
| Don’t know | 7% |
| Percentage of respondents who are aware of the challenges facing the construction industry |
|
| Yes | 68% |
| No | 30% |
| Don’t know | 2% |
Along with taking advantage of the ageing workforce, the report also states that the industry should view the adaptation of existing building stock for an ageing population in a positive light and view the potential work converting buildings to meet the demands of an ageing population as an opportunity.
The report states: “The needs of the ageing population can, to some extent, be combined with the needs of the disabled and the obese. In other words, when we think of the ageing population in this way, it may actually pay to convert buildings, and actively consider inclusive design.”
To address the lack of knowledge about the impacts of the ageing population the report recommends the Built Environment Professional Educational (BEPE) roadmap, which was launched by the coalition government in December 2013 to improve the way in which professionals learn about inclusive design, be expanded to other educational institutions and professional bodies.
A full copy of the research can be accessed from http://www.ciob.org/population
This is a great read. I’m new to HR and the construction industry – my first 2 clients are small developers – I think it’s interesting and diverse. I’m also nearly 50 and started my business because I felt unemployable. I’m proud to have become a Construction Ambassador – I’d welcome the opportunity to help builders demonstrate their skills and be recognised – apprentices can only learn from those already having the experience they need – collaboration is key.
This has been a concern for some time on the sites, but no one seems to want to lift their head out of the sand and acknowledge it. I am currently a tutor in my local college lecturing (full time served Joiner on sites) on building trades, I personally see the academic level of student very weak.
The old chestnut the Government are to blame but I feel strongly in this case that they are, students have been pushed towards higher academic studies and trades are below them, hence place them in a trade out of the way for a period till they get benefits. This has resulted in the trend of poor apprentices we put out today and resulting in no young apprentices in the trades.
A number of useful recommendations in this report, but the nub of the difficulty comes down to identifying the right competence mix required for unknown future requirements. Dynamic Knowledge has been working on this for 15+ years and now has a tool that members, firms & professional bodies can use to inform their own resource planning. Anyone interested in finding out more, do get in touch.
I’m sure that the reliance on asking for qualified staff and workers to have to keep re-applying for the like of CSCS ID cards and various alphabet soup ‘qualifications?’; When the cards expire an experienced worker then has to consider whether to pay for annother card for getting back into employment. It probably is not worth the hastle nor the fifty or so quid, unless a job is already offered.
There is absolutely no need for meaningless cards as proof of competency. They prove nothing. If the CSCS card scheme were a private company it would be considered a scam. I am a 60 yr old brickie. My card has expired. To renew my card I am told I must now hold a Skilled worker card. I have to send in my qualifications, plus payment, and the card will be issued. My problem is that I have no qualifications, apart from 43 years experience from when I was site trained by a COMPETENT bricklayer. I am told I can’t obtain a card but must be assessed either in a college or possibly on site. For the pleasure of this insult I will also have to pay around £700 for the privilege. It is a sick joke and indicative of the society in which we now live. A society which deems a worthless card or piece of paper to be more valuable than a lifetimes experience. Why is everyone shocked that we have a shortage of skills in our industries. The likes of myself in construction, be they brickies, plumbers, joiners etc, came into the industry because we were’nt that good at school. Why then would you put them back in a classroom to learn their trade. On the job experience is the ONLY way to learn your skills. If I were to apply for this card it would last at best 5 years, WHY ? The answer ?, to steal more cash off you in order to employ more box tickers. The Health and Safety industry will argue that if it saves ONE life then its worth it. The trouble is it has changed nothing. Major scaffoldings still collapse, people still fall off ladders, who is incompetent then, the scaffolder or the Safety officer who inspects it. The truth is that the HSE have interfered so much that most workers don’t listen to site inductions or tool box talks because they are sick and tired of being spoken down to by tinpot nobodies in bright yellow jackets who have no knowledge and produce absolutely nothing. People will always do stupid things and the more you take away their ability to think for themselves, the more accidents they will have. On a job I attended the other day there were 7 people in the site offices punching away on their laptops, and fewer than that actually producing out on site. The company was working for the council who of course have to be seen to be conforming. This is madness and I would love to think it can’t continue, but I’m not holding my breath.
Will I apply for the new card ? Not if I can secure enough work for myself and my team with builders who still have a modicum of common sense. If there are enough of us who will stand up and fight this nonsense, please let me know and maybe we could lobby Parliament. After all, there is no point bleating about a shortage of experienced men if you are forcing them out with overbearing nannying. I know there are hundreds of thousands like myself who share my thoughts on this. Its about time we stood up for ourselves and returned to sanity.
Thank you Phil Dews, at last some sense to read on this forum. Our industry should be proud to offer the simple chance to work for those who are not academic. In my 52 years in the industry the greatest pleasure was to see people develop and improve where no other industry gave them a chance. Some of the roughest diamonds became great leaders and achievers. The card schemes need to be overhauled and the onus placed back with the employer to take care of his workforce with variable approaches to suit the infinite number of choices that will turn up at the gate looking for a job. BTW no employer would train me in the new technologies at 60+ as they could not see the investment “paying back”.
Roger Blackmore-Squires (Blackjack)
Brilliant Phil I agree
Very eloquently and persuasively put by Phil Dews. He has my wholehearted concurrence. Everyone in the ‘business end’ of the industry knows that the skill quality of the up and coming generation (for many years now) bears no comparison (through no fault of theirs – but the fault of the bureaucrats) to the skill quality of the 50-60 year old lifetime tradesman (and probably professionals also, who took degrees when the content warranted a degree being awarded).
To Penelope McNeile, I would love to be learn more about Dynamic Knowledge. Please contact me on the following address, [email protected]
Thanks Adrian
I cant leave without mentioning Phil Dews, Sir you are the last of a dying breed, unfortunately we have no one like you in construction today. I take my hat off to you.