A family-run homebuilder, which has suffered labour shortages in recent years, has welcomed the Shortage Occupations List which will allow skilled migrant workers to join UK construction.

Fairgrove, established in 1995 with sites across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, has been hit hard by the lack of quality labourers available to work on its sites – which is why MD Steve Midgley has welcomed the move to add construction roles to the Shortage Occupation list.

Steve said: “The labour shortage has snowballed due to a combination of factors, from the challenges with workforces in a post-Brexit state, to the pandemic causing work to grind to a halt, as well as other circumstances such as the Ukraine war and cost-of-living crisis adding to tough financial situations for many employers and, critically, workers. As a result, skilled workers have been harder to come by, and home-building targets have been negatively impacted.”

Shortage Occupations

Several construction roles were added to the  list ahead of a full report on shortage occupations by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) due in June 2023.

Occupations added to the list include roofers, roof tilers and slaters, bricklayers and masons, carpenters and joiners, plasterers and dryliners.

Steve added: “The impact of these roles being added to the Shortage Occupation list is that they are now deemed to be in short supply and are subject to relaxed eligibility criteria for sponsored work visa applications.

“This effectively unlocks the potential for skilled migrant workers to support the UK construction industry.”

Businesses wishing to benefit from the scheme will need to apply for a sponsorship licence which will allow them to bring in migrant workers. Steve said that in time, Fairgrove may consider taking a licence but wanted to review the impact of the initiative for larger homebuilders first.

He added: “We need a diverse, skilled workforce, that can help us continue to build.

“We are optimistic that this intervention will bring about positive change and allow the construction industry to move forward, after what has been a very difficult few years.”

>>Read more on construction labour shortages

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