How MMC Makes Construction Careers More Accessible
It’s almost impossible to talk about increasing the output of UK house building without ending up in a conversation about skills. Or skills shortages to be precise. Greater use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) would drastically change this discussion.
Increasing the percentage of MMC deployed to meet the demand for new housing shifts the skills debate into new territory. It isn’t just about limiting or reducing the need for traditional skilled trades, MMC creates a demand for different skills. These are often deployed in offsite environments and could be more accessible and appealing for many people.
The CITB modelled the impact on skills needs of greater adoption of MMC in housebuilding. Meeting government targets using predominantly traditional methods would create demand for over 24,000 new recruits each year. 13,000 of these would be for skilled trades and manual workers.
To put that in context, it would mean an additional 16,000 bricklayers by 2025/6. Each of these would take two years to train. And that’s assuming that existing skilled tradespeople don’t retire or move out of house building into other types of construction.
MMC Could Reduce Demand for Additional Skilled Trades by 30%
A model based on 50% of house building switching to MMC – with an even split between panelised and volumetric – would still create 165,000 additional employment opportunities. Significantly, this would reduce the demand for additional skilled trades by 30%.
The CITB analysis points to growth in other skills:
- Digital design
- Estimating/commercial
- Offsite manufacturing
- Logistics
- Site management and integration
- Onsite placement and assembly
Some of these skills will be transferable to other industries and don’t require a two year apprenticeship for somebody to become proficient. The work environment in a manufacturing facility is also more accessible than a construction site if you have mobility issues or simply don’t find the prospect of working in the cold appealing.
The CLC’s Roadmap to Recovery sets out a plan to Restart, Reset and Reinvent. Upskilling the workforce is central to this agenda. Using more MMC within house building programmes alters the type of skills we need. It also makes the objective of increasing the output of new homes more deliverable.
