Finding new construction recruits in unusual places

As the homebuilding and construction industries continue to recover and expand, the skills shortage is becoming a bigger cause for concern as employers struggle to fill vacancies.

However, alongside the usual job adverts and recruitment agencies, there are other places to look to bolster your ranks and ensure you have enough workers for your upcoming projects.

Specialist ex-military recruitment agents

Many employers overlook the potential of ex-military personnel as it’s difficult to reconcile their more usual skills and CVs with construction tasks. However, the discipline, leadership and logistical qualities of many ex-forces candidates enables them to handle a wide range of tasks.

Whilst traditional training is required to ensure they have the required legal certifications, the military also offer their staff resettlement packages that will help them pay towards their own training and qualifications, if required.

There are many specialist recruitment agencies that focus on finding placements for ex-forces personnel, and they can assist with identifying the types of roles and job prospects that would suit their candidate’s background and competencies.

Get involved in the Bounceback Scheme

The Bounce Back Scheme currently underway in HMP Brixton is taking offenders and helping them to gain skills, certifications and confidence, so when they leave prison they have a better chance of finding employment.

Despite the stigma attached to employing ex-offenders, 21% of the participants taking part in the scheme have left prison and found work – much higher than the national average for in-prison training schemes.

The offenders actively join the course, having recognised it as a way to improve their lives on the outside, and so have plenty of motivation to succeed.

Partnering with local training companies

One of the most effective ways to find skilled employees is to build a partnership with a local training centre. Many training companies receive funding and initiatives to take on and train unskilled workers with the aim of helping them gain the certifications they need to break into the job market.

The potential in places like this often goes untapped as many employers rely on new recruits to find them, but by seeking out employees from training centres, you’ll be able to take on newly-qualified workers and apprentices, without the additional cost of paying for their training.

Many training centers are more than happy to build relationships with local employers, as it means more of their trainees will walk into jobs following their training, making their services much more appealing to future trainees.

Health & Safety Training Ltd

The team at Health & Safety Training Ltd train hundreds of people every year, in a variety of areas – from forklift and cherry picker training to manual handling and risk assessment training. We also provide training and apprenticeships for unemployed people looking to kick start a new career, so if you’re looking for new construction recruits in the North East, simply give us a call today.