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The skills gap in the UK is a long-standing issue affecting a wide range of key sectors – not least infrastructure. Architects have been on the government’s shortage occupation list since 2019, so are in high demand but short in supply – the end of free movement in the EU that came into effect the same year hasn’t helped the situation.
These post-Brexit resource challenges have returned to the spotlight in the past few weeks as the government introduced new minimum wage requirements to curb immigration and issue foreign work visas. The minimum wage threshold was increased by 48%, setting the threshold at £38,000, taking effect over Easter and was condemned by the RIBA.
“Hire and fire” is an outdated staffing model
Looking to the future, it is clear that our industry needs to place greater emphasis on developing our own resource resilience models. But we also need to find medium-term solutions and move away from traditional sourcing models, where local contract teams have a narrow, local focus on recruitment to meet demand. In an industry where work ebbs and flows and large projects can essentially be shut down, this approach often results in a workforce imbalance—a situation that becomes even more complicated during periods of economic volatility.
Agile staffing strategies with a resilient and collaborative approach can increase efficiency and profits
As an alternative, I think we need to better embrace long-term partnerships between practices – large, small, self-employed or sole practitioner, international and local – to move away from ‘hire and fire’. Through flexible and strong partnerships, we can eliminate peaks and valleys in workflow and create stability in individual practices.
A new way of thinking is required to support this approach, and it starts with the tender decision, rather than when the project is secured. However, it is not just a question of how we deal with a single tender or project, it is a question of long-term resources; it applies both to large companies pooling resources with each other to tackle major projects or long-term frameworks, and to working with SMEs to outsource work .
commitment to cooperation
Working in a global organization, I was lucky enough to have support from other geographies, for example drawing on the expertise of colleagues in Europe and India. Likewise, our UK-based architects can provide support to other teams on overseas projects. Essentially, we are able to make decisions based on skills and availability rather than location.
Committing to long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships not only helps develop a sustainable pipeline for the businesses involved, it also provides social value and provides a platform for local businesses to access opportunities they might otherwise miss out on.
However, these partnerships will only be effective if the smaller entities are appropriately integrated into the “hybrid” project team rather than being viewed as a distant resource responsible for an isolated scope. For example, the Royal Victoria Hospital we delivered in Belfast was the result of a 10-year collaboration with local firm Isherwood + Ellis, which was responsible for nearly half of the construction scope.
Technology enhances collaboration
In practice, true collaboration may mean co-locating teams in the same office or field with client representatives and supply chain on large projects. But technology and cloud-based platforms make it easier.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic made flexible and hybrid working imperative, advances in communications technology were already enabling more flexible approaches to project resource allocation. Thanks to technology, UK architects have better access than ever to a greater number and variety of domestic and international projects, which in turn will aid our ability to manage peaks and troughs more effectively. The physical world is disappearing, and we need to be prepared to think beyond geographic constraints and “hire people you can reach.”
In an unpredictable and volatile operating environment, delivering major infrastructure projects on time and on budget is a major challenge. This is a challenge that affects clients and their design and construction teams, so deploying the right people in a timely manner is critical.
By developing flexible staffing strategies that adopt a sustainable and collaborative approach to resourcing, organizations can increase efficiency and profitability and help free contract workers from uncertain demands. I’ve seen first-hand its benefits in recent years and I’d like to see it take root across the industry and become a core part of how we address the skills gap industry-wide.
Trevor Leaker leads AECOM’s architecture and design teams in the UK and Ireland
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