Call For Construction Worker Temporary Visa Scheme

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The vacancy rate in the London construction sector at its highest level in 20 years and so the Mayor of London has called for a temporary visa scheme to attract EU workers to the capital.

Sadiq Khan’s plan is supported by London homebuilders, construction and business groups to alleviate the debilitating double impact of Brexit and the pandemic on the industry.

 

UK wide

In September 2021 the UK-wide vacancy rate in construction rose to its highest recorded level since 2001 and vacancies in construction were 40 per cent higher in the summer of 2021 than in the three months before the pandemic.

 

Playing chicken

Last year the Conservative led government instigated a temporary visa concession for EU lorry drivers and poultry workers. The Mayor is proposing that ministers create a Coronavirus Recovery Visa to help sectors that are struggling with shortages of workers, including construction. The visa should offer at least 12 months to work in the UK and be appropriately tailored to sectors such as construction where many workers prefer to work on a self-employed basis.

 

Brexit exodus

Prior to Brexit, the capital was dependent on migrant building workers, with more than half the workforce being from the EU and beyond. ONS figures show that the number of construction workers in London from the EU fell 54 per cent between April 2017 and April 2020. Furthermore, the UK-born construction workforce is ageing, with an estimated 10-20 per cent reaching retirement age in the next five years.

 

Competition

Along with housebuilders and foreign developers who have been sold state owned land at hugely knockdown rates and are keen to start making £millions, the capital is also undergoing a council housing renaissance with boroughs starting more homes last year than at any time since the 1970s. However, this progress could be put at risk if construction sector employers cannot access a site-ready workforce to help build the homes Londoners need.

 

Education & Training

Whilst a temporary visa scheme would provide a short-term fix, Khan is keen that young Londoners see the building industry as a positive and viable career, allowing them to benefit from the wide range of opportunities available in the sector whilst building the homes and infrastructure London desperately needs. This was the impetus for the Mayor's Construction Academy (MCA) in 2018, connecting Londoners to training in the skills they need to access vacancies in the capital’s developments, in trades, professions and management. Since the MCA programme’s launch, more than 24,500 Londoners have completed construction training.

The Mayor is also aware of the need for best practice in the construction industry and is a signatory to Unite the Union’s Construction Charter which sets out to improve the city’s construction standards protect workers and outlaw poor construction practices. The charter ensures building contractors and sub-contractors under the control of local authorities provide apprentice training, a safe working environment, and the industry rate of pay to workers.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Tackling London’s housing crisis has always been one of my top priorities since becoming Mayor. We’ve worked tirelessly over the last five years to get London building again, and the construction sector forms a key part of London’s Covid recovery plan. However, both our recovery and efforts to deliver the genuinely affordable homes Londoners desperately need could now be put at risk if there isn’t the skilled workforce available to build them.  

Khan said: “Training our own people to take on jobs in the construction sector is an admirable aim and one we’re working hard to meet but in the meantime, we need skilled tradespeople on site now to manage the short-term crisis and build a strong recovery. “The Tories must look beyond their current blinkered approach to immigration and recognise the impending crisis that is already enveloping one of our most vital industries.”

Picture: For more information about the Mayor’s Construction Academy – Click Here

 

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
28th January 2022

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