What Does the Future of Carpentry Look Like in the South East?

How is the growing demand for public housing across the UK going to affect the future of carpentry in the South East? In this article we take a look at the possible impact this has on how the Carpentry landscape will look years from now. 

Recruitment 

According to the latest report from the CITB (The Construction Industry Training Board), over 11,000 construction workers are needed for the South East from 2018-2022. This requirement for workers is higher than the UK average, and is expected to grow in the future due to the high targets for residential buildings set by the government. The report also predicts a growth of 158,000 jobs in the next 4 years across the UK, so there will be plenty of work available in this industry.

The Growth of the Public Housing Sector 

Private housing is the largest construction sector in the South East, and is expected to see an average growth of 3.6% for the next 4 years. During Autumn of 2017, £15.3bn of financial support for housing was pledged to fund the public and private housing sectors, and £2bn had been set aside in October to provide 25,000 new council homes from 2020. 

The South East’s public housing sector has the greatest annual expansion in the UK, with a variety of long-term local housing projects at early planning stages. AJC Carpentry are excited to be part of these projects which include: 

• Kennet Island, Reading - Berkeley
• Boorley Green, Southampton - Bovis
• Bath Road, Devizes - McCarthy and Stone
• Merton Rise, Basingstoke - Persimmon
• Foreman Road, Ash - Thakeham Homes
• Landata House, Hook - Taylor Wimpey

Apprenticeships and Training 

Although we are anticipating a high amount of jobs to flood the construction industry, these roles need to be filled with people who have the right skills and knowledge. The government have set a target of 3 million apprenticeships across all sectors to support and encourage young people to go into construction related job roles. AJC are dedicated in supporting this scheme by working with colleges in the South East to give students the opportunity to work onsite as they learn. 

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors predicted that the lack of skills could effect 27,000 construction projects every year, so it’s vital that the younger generation have the support and training to work on future developments. 

The CTP are also incredibly supportive for ex-military personnel who are looking for work. They provide training and workshops to help more people find jobs. AJC Carpentry also support this and hire ex-military personnel through this resettlement scheme.

Technology 

As we all know, technology is changing quickly and the construction industry is no exception. With the advancement of virtual reality, carpenters will be able to see the finished building along with the site plans, so that they can work to these guidelines. 3D printers are also slowly entering the house building sector, as companies like ICON are starting to build homes for the homeless using this technology. 

The future of technology in construction can be quite unpredictable, but the possibilities are endless when it comes to the advancement of tools, equipment, and materials. No-one knows what will happen in the next 10 years for sure, but what we can accurately predict is that tech will continue to improve the time and efficiency of constructing new homes in the future. 

Summary 

The South East looks like the most popular place to go when it comes to looking for work in the construction industry. This area is out performing most areas in the UK and is expected to grow even further in the near future. As house builders try to meet the governments target of building 300,000 new homes every year, work is definitely not going to run dry. 

AJC Carpentry works on multiple sites across the South East, and are always looking for the best carpenters and joiners to join their team. If you are interested, please contact us on 01252 845 467 or fill in our contact form.