Almost a quarter of a million more workers will be needed by 2027, says Currie & Brown

Severe labour and skills shortages are putting major infrastructure jobs at risk, according to a consultant鈥檚 report. 

A report by Currie & Brown claims that an additional 225,000 construction workers will be needed by 2027 to meet demand and said the shortfall is pushing costs up. 

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Key projects such as work on the Port of Liverpool could be hit by the lack of skilled labour, according to Currie & Brown

While headline inflation for construction materials is beginning to ease, the skills shortage is predicted to drive an 8.3% increase in labour costs over this year and could extend lead times by up to 50%. 

The report said the combination of labour-driven and material cost inflation could add 拢900m to the cost of the UK鈥檚 infrastructure pipeline in 2023 鈥� the equivalent of a major new hospital. 

Nick Gray, Currie & Brown鈥檚 chief operating officer in the UK and Europe, said the skills shortage should serve as 鈥渁 wake-up call鈥� for the industry. 

鈥淎voiding a cliff edge that threatens the delivery of key projects such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme, works at the Port of Liverpool, and the National Hospitals Programme will demand a collaborative effort on training from players across the industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t will also need robust project management and continuous, close control of cost and risk.鈥� 

The consultant鈥檚 report advised project teams to engage early with contractors to ring-fence skilled labour and expand their pool of supply partners as well as utilising advanced technologies such as AI. 

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