Market forces will help level up the country
ALL businesses are suffering from a severe shortage of skill, not only HGV drivers who have seen their rates of pay leap during the last three months, but in all basic trades such as plumbers, electricians, toolmakers and the like.
For the last 50 years, many families have strived and sacrificed to ensure that their offspring went to university to get a better job.
To an extent, their endeavours have been successful, with the overall level of education being much higher than it was after the Second World War.
However, there is now a downside, for skilled trades people are in extremely short supply.
Those that have served apprenticeships are finding their services in such demand that more hard cash is being pressed into their hands.
Householders are finding that to get any job done on their properties where a skilled trades person is required, is costing them a lot more money.
This state of affairs will escalate until there has been a levelling up of pay scales, such that school-leavers will see a much broader range of opportunity from a cash point of view than just trying for university.
Government has announced huge changes in the way in which we will all heat our homes in the future as part of their “green” strategy.
This will generate an enormous number of additional jobs for both electricians and plumbers, yet talking to employers in their industries, there is a severe shortage of youngsters applying for apprenticeships.
It must follow therefore, that a much more attractive financial package, plus terms and conditions, must be constructed for young people to consider what will be their life’s work.
Skill and experience at all levels must be better rewarded together with career structures laying out opportunities for further advancement for those willing to take on responsibilities.
Boris Johnson stressed the fact that he wished to see a levelling up in society. Market forces are doing the job for him.
Russell Luckock is chairman of Birmingham pressings firm
AE Harris