According to a new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), over half (57%) of Brits wrongly assume that millennials are useless when it comes to carrying out practical jobs around the home. “Society is wrong to assume that the technical know-how of your typical millennial begins and ends
A new research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) reveals that the UK economy is missing out on £10 billion each year because homeowners are scared they might be hiring a cowboy builder. Other key results show that one third (32%) of homeowners delay major home improvement works that
The results from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) ‘State of Trade Survey’ show that more than two thirds (68%) of those running small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms struggle to hire bricklayers and 64% struggle to hire carpenters and joiners. These are the highest figures since 2008 and are
The standard for apprenticeships in the UK is expected to increase due to new apprenticeship schemes in bricklaying and plastering. Brian Berry, the Chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders has suggested that the initial announcement to attempt to increase apprenticeships to 3 million by 2020 could have led
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
According to a new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), over half (57%) of Brits wrongly assume that millennials are useless when it comes to carrying out practical jobs around the home. “Society is wrong to assume that the technical know-how of your typical millennial begins and ends with their smartphone. Well over half of Brits think that those aged 18-34 fall short when it comes to carrying out hands-on tasks around the home. There’s a popular misconception that most young people rely on their parents to complete jobs around the house for them – either through a lack of interest or a lack of ability, or both. However, our research shows that millennials are handier than many give them credit for. Two thirds of young people have hung picture or photo frames on the wall and nearly as many have put together flat-pack furniture and painted something. It’s particularly impressive that half of all young people have been proactive enough to watch a DIY ‘how to’ online video rather than waiting for someone they know the show them or complete the task on their behalf,” said Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB. The research shows that the top ten jobs completed by 18-34 year olds are: 70% have defrosted a freezer, 66% have hung picture or photo frames on a wall, 63% have put together flat-pack furniture, 58% have painted a wall or a piece of furniture, 57% have hung curtains, 49% have watched a DIY ‘how to’ video, 48% have sewn a button, 44% have bled a radiator, 43% have changed a fuse in a plug and 36% have put up a shelf. “Although we applaud young people for getting stuck in, it’s important that all generations know their limits when it comes to DIY and home improvements. It’s one thing bleeding a radiator and quite another attempting to knock down a wall or removing a structural beam. Our advice is to refrain from undertaking tasks that are better performed by a professional builder. If homeowners are looking to hire a builder, and aren’t able to extract a reliable recommendation from a family member or friend, they should use the FMB’s ‘Find a Builder’ service. All new members of the FMB are vetted and independently inspected before joining and so consumers can rest assured that they’ll be working with a professional and quality builder,” Berry concluded.
A new research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) reveals that the UK economy is missing out on £10 billion each year because homeowners are scared they might be hiring a cowboy builder. Other key results show that one third (32%) of homeowners delay major home improvement works that require a builder because they fear the builder might not be trustworthy, which leads to the next point that if all homeowners trusted the building industry 100%, then they would be spending an average of £40,000 on major home improvement project over the next five years. “A third of homeowners are so anxious about the possibility of choosing a bad builder, they don’t commission any building work whatsoever. This means that the UK economy could be missing out on £10 billion of activity every year. Indeed, the FMB’s latest research shows that on average, your typical homeowner would spend £40,000 on major home improvement projects over the next five years if they could be guaranteed a positive experience,” said Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB. He goes on saying that if consumers could get over this fear, then the potential growth and jobs “would be enormous”. In 2017, UK had the slowest growth since 2012, with a rise in GDP of only 1.8% and the future could look even worse with Brexit just around the corner. Therefore, it is vital that the Government “pulls as many leavers as possible to turbocharge the economy and protect it from any potential economic wobbles”. To get over this fear of hiring a cowboy builder, the Government “should consider introducing some form of mandatory licensing system for domestic builders so that consumers know that all building firms have a base level of skill, competence and professionalism,” said Berry. Unlike in other countries, in the UK “anyone can be a builder”, so the industry gains a bad reputation because of that. “We’re exploring mandatory licensing with industry and Government, but in the meantime, our advice to homeowners who are looking for a builder is to ask for a recommendation from family or friends. If they can’t help, consumers should approach a professional trade association like the Federation of Master Builders who can put them in touch with a vetted and inspected building firm,” concluded Berry.
The results from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) ‘State of Trade Survey’ show that more than two thirds (68%) of those running small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms struggle to hire bricklayers and 64% struggle to hire carpenters and joiners. These are the highest figures since 2008 and are mostly to blame the construction skills shortages. Other results show that the difficulties to hire plumbers and electricians (48%), plasterers (46%), and floorers (30%), also reached record highs. The workloads in SME grew at a slower rate than in 2017 and the firms building new homes had a negative net balance for the first time since 2013. 87% of builders believe that material prices will rise in the next six months; however, nearly two thirds expect salaries and wages to increase as well. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, argues that these skills shortages will lead to the question of “who will build the new homes and infrastructure projects the Government is crying out for”. The new target for home developments every year is 300,000 for England only, but if the workload keeps decreasing there would not be sufficient personnel to build those houses. “More than two-thirds of construction SMEs are struggling to hire bricklayers which is one of the key trades in the building industry. This has increased by nearly 10% in just three months which points to a rapid worsening of an already dire situation. What’s more, nearly as many are facing difficulties hiring carpenters and joiners. These figures are the highest we’ve noted since records began a decade ago. As a result, the wages for these increasingly scarce skilled tradespeople continue to rise sharply; that’s a simple consequence of supply and demand. This, coupled with the fact that small construction firms continue to face significant material price increases, will inevitably squeeze their margins and put a brake on growth,” said Berry. There is also the question of what will happen after the Brexit and the Prime Minister must ensure that the immigration system that will replace the free movement of people will be capable to deliver the needs of these two key sectors: construction and house building.
The standard for apprenticeships in the UK is expected to increase due to new apprenticeship schemes in bricklaying and plastering. Brian Berry, the Chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders has suggested that the initial announcement to attempt to increase apprenticeships to 3 million by 2020 could have led to an ideal that quantity is better than quality. However, this week the Government has improved its commitment to working with the construction industry by increasing the quality of the apprenticeship training and approving these new standards alongside the increased encouragement to deliver more apprenticeships. Research carried out by the FMB has shown that two-thirds of SMEs, or Small and Medium Enterprises, think that the overall quality of apprenticeships in the construction industry has decreased over the past 30 years. The research has also revealed that over 70% of smaller construction companies would be more likely to train an apprentice if the quality of construction apprenticeships and standards improved. It is noted that SMEs in the construction industry are who train two thirds of all apprentices, and if they are reluctant to take on apprentices due to the low quality of training. Therefore, the government putting their weight behind improving the quality and standards of apprenticeships will be reassuring for those construction companies when taking on apprentices. Named the Government’s Trailblazer process, the intention is to give more control back to the employers in order to make sure that the apprenticeship training does actually reflect what is required when working on site. A number of different large and small employers have given up their time in order to create these apprenticeship standards. Because of this the standard reflects what will actually be necessary to work in the construction industry. The standards set out by the construction companies means that there will be a higher standard of training for apprentices, which will mean that they will be taught to perform more technical tasks.
