A major UK housing provider is launching it’s biggest ever recruitment drive, looking to fill 135 roles to enhance it’s repair services.
The jobs are looking to be filled by social enterprise Places for Peoples (PfP), with roles including plumbers, electricians, joiners, roofers and more.
The drive couldn’t come at a better time. The construction skills gap is becoming a significant barrier to the UK’s housebuilding targets, as much of the workforce begins to approach retirement age without an adequate amount of young talent to replace them. Green skills are in particular demand, as the UK seeks to accelerate the decarbonisation of it’s housing stock and distance itself from reliance on volatile fossil fuels, a reliance which has most recently been exposed as a vulnerability in the aftermath of sustained conflict in the middle east.
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A government report released earlier this month detailed the true extent of the NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) crisis in the UK, with one in eight young people jobless and without further training. This is the highest figure since 2014, and represents 1M young people aged 16-24, with 60% of NEET young people having never held a job, up from 40% in 2005. Whilst this crisis has profound human consequences for the generations facing a jobless future, it also presents a significant economic crisis at a time of particular urgency. The review estimates that the annual cost of 1M NEET young people is £125bn, more than the total yearly budget for education.
When this is taken in context of the UK’s shifting age demographics, the picture is dark. As our population continues to grow older, combined with a slowing birthrate, the ratio of taxpayers to non-workers will also continue to shift. The depleted economic activity of our younger generations is already a threat to the sustainability of the UK economy, combine this with the need to provide for a rapidly growing population of pensionable age, and the need for a revitalised job market becomes an existential one.
Richard Shepherd, Chief of Repair Operations at PfP, said: “We’re making a major investment in our repairs service because we know how important it is for our Customers to receive repairs quickly, professionally and to the highest standard.
“By growing our in-house team through one of the biggest recruitment drives in our history, we’ll increase our capacity, reduce repair backlogs and continue improving the service our Customers receive.
“We’re looking for skilled tradespeople who want to do work that really matters. Every repair we complete helps someone feel safe, secure and proud of their home.
“Working at PfP is about much more than carrying out repairs. As a leading UK social enterprise, everything we do is focused on improving lives and strengthening Communities. Our Colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference to our Customers every day while building a rewarding long-term career with an organisation that invests in its People, homes and Communities.”
Recruitment will take place over the next three to four months, with vacancies – a mix of new roles and existing – being filled in phases to meet demand across different trades and locations.
