Master Builders’ Association counters shortage of skilled workers
The shortage of skilled workers is endangering turnover and jobs in the construction industry. This is shown in a study by the Swiss Association of Master Builders. Among other things, the association proposes digitalisation and the recruitment of lateral entrants as countermeasures.
The Swiss Association of Master Builders(SBA) expects a growing shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry. It has therefore commissioned a “Study on the Long-Term Development of the Economy and Skilled Workers in the Main Construction Industry” from the Competence Centre for Demographics, the association informs in a press release. According to the study, which was presented at the end of June at the Construction Industry Day in Lugano, the shortage of skilled workers, measured in terms of construction volume, could reach about 16 percent by 2040. This would cause annual turnover losses of up to CHF 800 million and thus endanger jobs in the construction industry.
In Lugano, however, SBC Central President Gian-Luca Lardi also pointed out possible solutions. “If we increase turnover per capita by 0.5 per cent annually, we can make up for 50 per cent of the shortage of skilled workers,” Lardi is quoted as saying in the press release from his address at the industry’s traditional networking event. According to the association, this increase in productivity should mainly be achieved through digitalisation and innovation. At the same time, Lardi suggested “training more apprentices, keeping skilled workers in the profession longer and ultimately recruiting more lateral entrants”. In this way, the other half of the gap could be closed, according to the Central President.