UK Construction and the “UKCG”
Posted by Daniel Newham on Tuesday, March 3, 2015
In recent years the UK construction industry has suffered considerably due to the recession. Although it might not at first seem a key player to the UK economy, the Construction industry is a major contributor to the UK GDP (7.4% in 2011)
The construction industry has around 350,000 firms, varying in size from small/medium family owned firms to multi millions pound companies. The sector makes up for around 10.5% of UK employment which is around 3.1 Million people. Construction is seen as a “jobs creator” the sector is over three times more labour intensive that financial services and can provide jobs for people from all educational backgrounds.
In addition to helping employ millions of people the construction industry is also helping get the UK economy back on track, for every £1 spent on construction, it is said that its output will generate a total of £2.84 of wealth. Only 8% of its supply is imported meaning investment in construction in the UK is mostly retained in the UK.
The construction industry does not only affect the people who work within it, it also plays has a huge impact on the majority of the population's quality of life. The developments and schemes within the construction industry provides us with the homes we live in, the schools we were educated in, hospitals we rely on and the transport infrastructure that are the arteries to keep Britain moving.
The sector has one of the highest levels of apprenticeships that give people the craft and skills they need in order to sustain long term careers and gain valuable knowledge.
The construction industry is always promoting the recruitment and retention of a more diverse workforce, and the United Kingdom Construction Group (UKCG) Diversity Group is slowly helping to change the image of the industry. For example 17% of employees in the UKCG firms are women compared to the industry average of 13% and 6% of staff in the UKCG firms are BME compared to an industry average of 5%.
The UKCG Diversity Group have launched an industry wide campaign to promote a more inclusive atmosphere on construction sites were everyone can work more effectively.
Daniel Newham
Maxim Recruitment
London and Midlands Region