Ann Gibbard’s Post

This morning we announced National’s Plan for Better Building and Construction, an industry that is a critical part of our economy, yet faces productivity challenges from excessive regulation, worker shortages, disrupted supply chains and a severe boom-bust cycle. National’s plan will streamline building consents to make construction more efficient, strengthen competition for building materials, ensure the sector can access the workers it needs with appropriate immigration settings and trades training, and support research and the use of technology to deliver better results. #building #construction

The UK National Audit Office says modern methods of construction are needed to solve the construction sector’s skills shortage. Decent and affordable homes are fundamental to our wellbeing. There is widespread recognition that we face a critical housing shortage, with a combination of factors preventing us from deploying the skilled labour needed to replenish and expand our housing stock. Read about what is causing the problem and how MMC, and specifically timber frame construction, may be part of the solution. #Skills #TimberFrame #Construction

Is it possible to build four times as many homes with the same amount of on-site labour? Yes, says the UK National Audit Office in a report titled “Using modern methods of construction to build homes more quickly and efficiently”. MMC methods like timber frame aim to complete more of the needed work away from the construction site, with finalised units transported to the plot and quickly installed. The traditional solution for providing structures with a load-bearing frame centres on masonry – concrete blocks and bricks put in place one by one by skilled bricklayers. That particular trade, incidentally, is perhaps the most challenged of all in terms of labour shortage, with sources reporting differing but sky-high pay, as desperate construction firms compete for the dwindling labour available. Read Merronbrook Ltd's latest blog to learn more. #Skills #TimberFrame #Construction

The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) is calling on #Labour to address the #skills #shortage in the #construction #industry to accelerate major #housing and #infrastructure projects. Read more below. #contractors #roofers #roofing #apprentices

This great article, by Gabriel Giguere at IEDM - MEI (https://lnkd.in/dMRwPZqP), about the construction industry in Quebec reminded me of my first experience with unionized construction. A long time ago I worked for a Member of Parliament. I remember when we needed something pretty basic to be fixed. It wasn't a lightbulb. Maybe it was a bookshelf? Something I would have fixed in my own home in 45 minutes. It took 5 people to change it. Yes 5. First, the 'project manager' needed to come by and determine what the issue was. Then two people came by to set up the equipment (ladder and something else). Then the person who did the actual work. Then a clean up person. All because of various union rules and regulations to protect the jobs of those workers and make sure they have work to do. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has documented such cases for decades. Yes, the House of Commons in Ottawa is the worst situation, but similar issues pervade the construction industry across Canada. Protective walls and silos have been created that are intentionally inefficient in order to maximize the amount of work required and therefore, maximize employment. Skip to today, where we don't have enough workers to build homes, roads, bridges, schools ... and, therefore, everything costs more than it should. It is time to tear down those old walls that no longer serve us. It's not about safety. If you compare safety records between British Columbia (who until recently had no compulsory trades (ie silos)) and Alberta (which until recently had 19 compulsory trades, and now has many more 'designated' trades), there is almost no difference in the accident or injury levels. Do we need to do everything we can to keep workers safe? YES! Do compulsory trades have anything to do with safety? NO. Compulsory trades are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other regulations, certifications, processes, procedures, and more, that create 'middlemen' and bureaucracy that mostly just increase the cost of everything around us. It's time to rethink construction. This article has a few good suggestions.

British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) says a chronic labour shortage, combined with outdated regulations about paying contractors on time, could combine to cause a major slowdown for B.C.'s construction industry. 40% of workers are up for retirement in the next decade. #construction #buildings #building #steel #metal #concrete Chris Atchison VRCA - Vancouver Regional Construction Association Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) Canadian Construction Association - Association canadienne de la construction ICBA | Independent Contractors and Businesses Association Business Council of British Columbia #realestate Vancouver Real Estate Today Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Vancouver Real Estate Podcast Greater Vancouver Chamber Family Business Association Vancouver Island

What are some of the continuing and emerging themes in construction to watch for in 2024? Canadian Construction Association - Association canadienne de la construction President Mary Van Buren shares some of the items on her radar. #construction

Can modern methods of construction (MMC) help to alleviate the skills shortages in the construction sector? Research by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (National) found that most firms reported challenges with the supply of skilled labour. Other research points to an ageing workforce, and a need to complete more projects in less time on site. To read why the UK National Audit Office is calling on MMC as the solution, click here: https://lnkd.in/ejqgtGTf #Skills #TimberFrame #Construction

If you're interested in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) but have concerns over how this industry can grow when issues such as skills shortages persist, have a read of this short article by Local Authority Building & Maintenance.

New analysis has shown the scale of retrofitting needed in London - but with a skills shortage across the industry, do we have the workforce needed to complete the works? Read more with Construction Management magazine