Redrow CEO John Tutte has lamented a shortage of bricklayers in the country, warning the skills gap could make the government's housing targets difficult to meet. “You don’t necessarily want to walk into a restaurant round the corner and start dropping business cards, but if that’s what it takes . . .” Tutte acknowledged that building a skilled workforce is difficult in a cyclical industry, but also highlighted an image problem; despite an average salary of £36,679 ($50,900) - up to £60,000 in high-demand areas - and annual pay increases of over 10%, young adults don't see it as prestigious, said Tutte. The government says there are more than 200,000 vacancies for construction workers across Britain, with many people looking at jobs outside London or other major cities.
Redrow CEO John Tutte has lamented a shortage of bricklayers in the country, warning the skills gap could make the government's housing targets difficult to meet. Tutte acknowledged that building a skilled workforce is difficult in a cyclical industry, but also highlighted an image problem; despite an average salary of £36,679 ($50,900) - up to £60,000 in high-demand areas - and annual pay increases of over 10%, young adults don't see it as prestigious, said Tutte. The government says there are more than 200,000 vacancies for construction workers across Britain, with many people looking at jobs outside London or other major cities.