INDUSTRY UNLOCKED
This scale of supply chain makes management of worker compliance a complex challenge for everyone involved .
THIS SCALE OF SUPPLY CHAIN MAKES MANAGEMENT OF WORKER COMPLIANCE A COMPLEX CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED .
Co-founder of The Shore Group , Lewis Yorke- Johnson , said : “ Compliance screening should be a routine process for all involved . Sadly , we see up to 15 % of all applications failing due to forged documents , fake IDs and expired skills cards . If these workers were to make it onsite , that puts a significant number of people at risk . It ’ s why total compliance is an absolute business priority for us and our clients .”
The Portal ’ s latest enhancement provides a complete , real-time record for each worker on-site . This includes visibility of the original ID , proof of right to work and skills card documentation providing project managers and site management with accurate , transparent compliance evidence .
This functionality builds on the Portal ’ s cost control features which give contractors the ability to view labour spend and set thresholds that prevent the common issue of budget overspends . With the option to order the skills and labour required , the company say the Portal is the only application offering a single point of control for labour management , cost control and compliance assurance .
Yorke-Johnson added : “ The relaxation of migrant worker rules is a major benefit for areas where the labour market is really tight . Unfortunately , there will be workers and labour providers who will seek to take advantage of these changes , even though they don ’ t meet the requirements . Managing worker compliance needs to stay front of mind . Every non-compliant worker puts colleagues and the wider community at risk .”
Builders have reported project delays due to a shortage of bricklayers . This slows down projects , affects contractor profitability and reduces the take home pay of thousands of workers .
In addition to this , we ’ re also seeing skills shortages developing in ‘ new ’ construction areas like building retrofit , data centres and green construction .
There is also the ticking time bomb of a declining construction workforce as older workers retire . While the industry adds 170,000 new workers each year , the number needed by 2027 will be 225,000 . So , we ’ re behind now and will get further behind in the years ahead without a dramatic shift .
We have a combined shortage of both overall labour and for specific skills .
Is it a common occurrence for workers / suppliers to provide fake documents ?
Sadly , it remains way too common . During any given week , up to 15 % of the applications we see fail our compliance checks due to insufficient or forged documentation . Our checks , which are part of our quality management system , include both automated and human checks to ensure an effective , robust process . The Portal provides an additional layer of transparency for the whole supply chain to demonstrate compliance .
In what way does a non-compliant worker put colleagues at risk ?
If we failed to identify these workers , this could lead to workers on-site without qualifications , insurance or relevant experience which is a major safety risk . This could lead to a physical risk to workers on construction projects .
Photo credit : HongBo Chen
Yorke-Johnson told Intelligent CXO more about the Portal and the challenges facing the construction industry .
How severe is the labour shortage in the construction industry ?
Current skills shortages vary by region and by trade , which partly explains why only five construction role types have been added to the migration list . But the shortage in these roles leads to very real problems . For example , over 40 % of members of the Federation of Master
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