The long wait to find a builder, plumber or electrician is only going to get worse, according to a website that matches homeowners with reliable tradespeople.
A new report by Checkatrade has highlighted the critical shortage of skilled workers throughout the home improvement, repairs and building sectors.
The UK needs more than one million new tradespeople and apprentices to meet growing demand from homeowners and to fulfil ambitious government plans for house building and energy efficiency, it warned.
Checkatrade has forecast a 40% rise in demand for expert building workers over the next ten years, thanks to an improving economy, lower interest rates and accelerated planning processes.
However, it said this promising growth is at risk due to a severe skills deficit, exacerbated by an ageing workforce, with more than a third of current workers planning to retire within the next decade.
The report estimated the sector would need to recruit 377,000 new skilled workers, coupled with an additional 734,000 apprentices, to meet current demand.
Jambu Palaniappan, chief executive at…
