Construction should view ageing population as an opportunity, says CIOB

Construction needs to encourage older workers to remain in the industry and harness their knowledge to help reduce the skills gap, says the CIOB.

The CIOB’s second report exploring the effects of the ageing population on the construction industry makes the core conclusion that we need to “view the ageing population positively, despite the phenomenon presenting a number of challenges for the construction industry”.

However, despite the introduction of the Equality Act 2010 to combat discrimination in the workplace, fewer members are aware of the ageing population now compared with 2009, when the CIOB’s last report on the subject was published.

Of the 994 CIOB members that responded, 68% said they were aware of challenges of an ageing population compared to 76% in 2009.

Bridget Bartlett, deputy chief executive of the CIOB, commented: “The findings from this report indicate that the impact of the ageing population and the role of the ageing workforce have slipped down the agenda.”

The report finds that employers need to overcome stereotypes to keep older workers in the industry, with 57% of respondents stating that it was “very important” to retain ageing workers.

However, very few companies have policies in place designed to actually encourage retention. Only 24% use flexible working to help retain ageing workers, 18% use succession planning, 9% adapt job descriptions and 11% carry out retirement planning seminars.

The need to learn from the older members of the industry is another focus of the report, with 97% of respondents believing mentoring to be either valuable or very valuable.

However, only 63% of firms said mentoring of younger workers by experienced colleagues was a regular feature in their place of work, with respondents pointing towards the difficulties obtaining high-calibre staff as the reason such schemes didn’t exist.

Bartlett said: “Employers must recognise the skills of their existing workers and put in measures such as flexible working, career reviews or even retirement planning to encourage longer working lives. As our own research tells us, skills shortages in construction are compounded by those entering the industry not being suitably qualified for the position. We should take this opportunity to use older workers to tap into their skills and knowledge and ensure they are passed onto the next generation.”

She added: “However, if construction is to meet the skills crisis it faces and fill the 224,000 vacancies needed by 2019, employers should look to take additional steps to overcome the skills shortages they incur by reaching out to older workers.”

Along with taking advantage of the ageing workforce, the report also states that the industry should view the adaptation of existing building stock for an ageing population in a positive light and view the potential work converting buildings to meet the demands of an ageing population as an opportunity.

The report states: “The needs of the ageing population can, to some extent, be combined with the needs of the disabled and the obese. In other words, when we think of the ageing population in this way, it may actually pay to convert buildings, and actively consider inclusive design.”

To address the lack of knowledge about the impacts of the ageing population the report recommends the Built Environment Professional Educational (BEPE) roadmap, which was launched by the coalition government in December 2013 to improve the way in which professionals learn about inclusive design, be expanded to other educational institutions and professional bodies.

A full copy of the research can be accessed from http://www.ciob.org/population