Plans to loosen immigration barriers will boost construction, says FMB

The Government’s proposed loosening of immigration rules will be a positive boost for the construction sector, which is struggling to recruit enough workers, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said allowing more foreign workers into the UK will help address the current skills shortages in the construction industry.

The construction sector needs tens of thousands of new entrants every year to meet current demands, he explained.

“The FMB and other industry stakeholders have called on the Migration Advisory Committee to review the Shortage of Occupation List and to include more trades such as bricklayers and carpenters to help boost economic growth,” he continued.

“In the recent FMB State of Trade Survey, 48% of small builders reported being in favour of increased immigration provided this was underpinned by better investment in skills training.

“With core skills in short supply, as evidenced by the fact that around a third of FMB members are struggling to hire carpenters and bricklayers, this is causing 60% of jobs to be delayed, curtailing the ability of the building industry to grow.

“While immigration will help grow the construction sector, there still needs to be investment in UK-based training to train the next generation of builders."