A homeowner in South Norwood rang us last month asking why her rear extension quote had a four-week wait just for the plastering to be booked in. It's not us dragging our feet. The Construction Industry Training Board says the trade needs almost a million new workers over the next six years to keep pace with demand, and plastering is one of the trades feeling it hardest.
There are roughly 40,000 plasterers working in the UK right now, and that number is shrinking as more of them reach retirement age than are coming through to replace them. By the end of 2017, CITB figures showed 47% of construction workers were already over 45 and one in five were over 55. Eight years on, that ageing workforce has only got older, and fewer young people in Croydon or anywhere else are choosing the trade as a career.
There's money moving to fix it. The Government has committed £600 million to create 60,000 new apprenticeship places, welcome news when the Office for National Statistics puts the number of young people not in education, employment or training at around a million. Whether that funding turns into plasterers on Croydon sites in five years' time is another question, but it's the right direction.
On the extensions and loft conversions we run across Croydon, Bromley and Beckenham, it means booking trades earlier than we used to and building slack into the programme. A rear extension still needs the same two-coat plaster finish it always did, skim over British Gypsum board with a proper key, no shortcuts because the labour's tight. It's why we keep the same core team rather than chasing whoever's cheapest that week.
If you're planning an extension, loft conversion or refurbishment in Croydon, Bromley, Beckenham or the wider South London area, Smiley Building Services has been doing this from our base on Woodside Green since 2003. Have a look through our recent projects and get in touch for a free site survey at smileybuildingservices.co.uk.
Smiley Building Services are endorsed by “Trustmark”, who are the only UK Government
Endorsed Quality building Scheme for work carried out around your home.
Several motivations fuel TrustMark's mission, chiefly to assist homeowners with
implementing energy-saving upgrades in their dwellings and to bolster the level of
confidence they possess while engaging in such undertakings. It is imperative to possess a
well-defined vision of your intended home improvements, acquaint yourself with the
potential expenses and expected duration of projects. Bear in mind that proficient
professionals are typically sought after, hence there could be a necessity to be patient in
order to secure the services of the ideal tradesperson for your task.
