7 solutions for companies to address the design skills shortage in the UK construction industry

While we are living in an unprecedented time when it comes to the opportunities we are up against in the Energy construction industry, there has never been a more difficult time when it comes to the shortage in design skills that we are faced with.

As always there isn't only one solution, rather a mix of action plans for companies to implement in order to mitigate this crisis.

Invest more in apprenticeships

More employers need to consider more apprenticeship programmes. Everyone needs to play their part in investing in the future workforce. While some employers fear loosing their apprentice workforce after considerably investing in their training and up-skilling, this risk is not different to any other and companies that strive for a positive employee experience and working environment should fear no such thing. Companies should focus more on conditions that boost staff retention rather than worry about training the staff they might lose.

Consider more graduates

Employers are more often than not looking for the finished article. We have to shift our mindset a little bit and look towards enduring a little bit of effort, and cost, with the view of investing in an employee who delivers on the long term. There are graduates out there who might be a skill or two short but will impress when given the job supported by an experienced member of staff to begin with. Graduates are often the most thirsty for knowledge and experience and can develop efficiently in shorter times.

Encourage career shifters and 'returnships'

There is currently a high barrier, albeit mostly misleading, to entering into engineering jobs. In engineering, like any other career, you have to start somewhere and most human-skills are transferable. Employers will need to consider more people who are searching for careers in engineering out of interest. There is an increased demographic who could be encouraged into returning into the workforce after breaks and some might consider if employers communicate more on the opportunities and lower the barrier to entry-level jobs in design and engineering.

Overseas recruitment

The gaps introduced by the retiring staff can be swiftly filled with experienced engineers from other countries, who will also help provide a diverse mix of knowledge and experience for the graduates and apprentices to learn from. Companies cannot afford to limit themselves to one market and have to be prepared to be able to compete against other companies, markets and countries, as the skills shortage is world-wide one and today, with the interconnection of communications, overseas recruitment is now a fierce competition over the experienced talent.

Promotion of smaller design firms

Bigger companies have to widen their design supply chain and support those smaller firms to grow through partnerships and the flow of work. As the demand in projects ebbs and flows, response will vary and hence the organisations have to be ready with an adequate level of manoeuvrability when it comes to deploying design resources available through the smaller firms through their supply chain. This will also contribute to the whole of our design skills economy as these firms will, as a result of thriving business, grow and develop more engineers.

Diverse locations of remote design centres

While a lot of companies are establishing offices outside of the UK for design services, in an attempt to drive down costs, this is now facing its own challenges as the increase in such remote offices has created another tough competition over the same pool of engineers and is now starting to drive costs back up. The answer is not to disregard this model but rather diversify it and look for different places and countries that have an abundance in skilled, experienced, design and engineering resource.

Develop new models of engineering leadership

The next few years will see most of the repeated jobs being facilitated or even completely carried out by AI so employers have to start preparing for the future through developing more engineers into leaders who will be strong in communicating, client-facing, management of interfaces, stakeholder-engagement, programme management, etc.. amongst the other required technical competency levels. This will help the jobs cope with the new day and age and also be more attractive to the newer generations.

There isn't one solution to this challenge, but employers will have to start thinking outside of the box and consider new ideas, some of which are already proving to be working elsewhere and be brave to try others that are yet to be proven.

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