The skills shortage in the construction industry is not easing in Finland, but getting worse, predicts the skills needs report announced today by Rakennusteollisuus RT. As a solution, companies would reform the training in the field to be more practical and increase the number of international experts significantly from the current level.
Nine out of ten companies in the construction industry feel that there are applicants for open jobs, but there are too few of the right professional skills. The reason for the situation can be seen in the work experience, education and expectations of the applicants, says the skills needs assessment of the Construction industry.
The means of companies to influence these factors are limited. The cooperation with the training organizers is already very close, and we are ready to increase the number of training and apprenticeship places.
"Furthermore, the tasks in the field are increasingly interesting and versatile, and salaries have recently increased the most in the construction sector," RT's social relations manager responsible for labor and education policy issues Lauri Pakkanen more.
Still, even every fifth job in the industry remains unfilled. The skill shortage in the construction industry has been clearly more acute in Finland than in other EU countries for 20 years now, and there is no relief in sight for chronic patients.
"In the future, the share of the labor force needed by the construction industry will increase even more, because urbanization, the growing need for renovations and the sustainability goals set for the built environment will bring jobs to builders. Based on the survey, 76 percent of the companies estimate that the need for labor will increase in the future, 29 percent even significantly."
Cooperation and management skills and better coordination of trainings
The entire society suffers from the lack of skills in the construction industry, as the industry creates the conditions for growth for the rest of the economy and is one of the largest regional employers. As a solution to the skills gap, based on the report, RT proposes drastic measures: increasing training and teaching resources and modifying the contents of the training.
"Approximately 80 percent of the respondents to RT's survey would emphasize working life and cooperation and leadership skills at all school levels, and if necessary even at the expense of technical capabilities," Lauri Pakkanen mentions.
Mere practical knowledge of current work tasks is still not enough on its own. The industry is constantly changing and developing, and at the same time, the need for expertise also lives on.
"An even higher-level education in the construction industry needs an increase in resources and the right kind of centralization, as well as more goal-oriented cooperation between different universities and other educational institutions. The graduation rate has to be increased", YIT Oyj's personnel manager Timo Piili to point out.
"Diversity and multilingualism must be seen as a strength of the industry. The field must be even more attractive now and in the future, so that we can get more different experts from Finland and also from international markets."
At the moment, there are not enough experts in the construction industry in Finland, so they must be attracted clearly more than at present, also from outside the country's borders. "The majority of those who use foreign labor say directly that it is not about the salary level, but that there are not enough domestic experts available, or they lack the necessary skills", Lauri Pakkanen clarifies based on the results of the skills needs survey.
Construction Industry RT, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Labor and Economy, made a report on the skills needs of the construction industry. The survey carried out by Innolink Research Oy was accompanied by a survey, which was answered by 459 representatives of companies in the construction industry from 382 companies.
See also
- Skills needs survey 2021
- Presentation materials of the publication event
More information
- Lauri Pakkanen, public relations manager, RT; firstname.surname@rakennusteollisuus.fi, TWO TWO WHEN TWO
- Timo Piili, personnel manager, YIT Oyj; firstname.surname@yit.fi, TWO TWO WHEN TWO