Nearly eight in 10 construction firms had trouble recruiting staff in the last year with most expecting a skills shortage to last beyond 2005, according to a new survey.
In a survey of its members, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) found that an overwhelming 79% have experienced problems finding skilled staff over the last year, particularly in the crafts and trades sector.
Some 42% of employers in this division reported difficulty.
Overall, 65% of those surveyed claimed the current workforce is not skilled, and 91% said they expect the shortage of up to standard workers to extend beyond this year.
"This research reinforces our concern in meeting the future capacity requirements of the construction industry," said Michael Brown, deputy chief executive of the CIOB. "Urgent attention is needed to attract more young people into our industry.
"The attraction of projects like the Olympics should provide an opportunity to showcase the industry and attract many more young people."
The Construction Industry Training Board says the sector must recruit 88,000 skilled workers every year for the next five years to meet its needs.
Respondents to the survey said they believe the prime causes for the skills shortage are the industry's poor image, increasing competition from more attractive industries and poor policies for recruiting new workers.
