A Dissertation carried out by researchers at Birmingham City University, led by Marwan Mohamed titled ‘Brexit: measuring the impact upon skilled labour in the UK construction industry’. This research has been published in the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, a peer-reviewed research journal. The research collected feedback from more than 50 different businesses in the construction industry in order to evaluate the impact that Britain leaving the European Union could have.
The research has shown that workers in the construction industry feel that Brexit will only have a negative impact on the already significant skills deficit in the industry. The results of the research showed that over 80% of workers thought that Brexit will damage the UK construction industry, and could result in a number of high-profile government infrastructure projects being shelved. 885 of the workers believed that the UK is reliant on the EU for the supply of skilled workers and that Brexit will lead to the skills deficit in the industry being made worse. 90% of workers felt that other EU countries could be made more attractive to migrant workers after Brexit, leading to predictions of a significant reduction in the number of skilled workers.
The research paper also suggests a number of solutions to help the construction industry after Britain leave the EU. These pragmatic recommendations include keeping the free movement of people and staying in the European Economic Area, offering higher wages and better overtime to keep hold of workers, utilising technology to reduce physical exertion, creating more apprenticeship opportunities and improving the image of a construction industry career in order to try and appeal to more young people.
The publication has gained the attention of academics and the industry and it is hoped that this awareness will lead to a larger debate on a matter that is set to have a damaging impact on a number of businesses across a variety of professions.
