Examining the link between skill shortages, training composition and productivity levels in the construction industry: evidence from Northern Ireland1

Abstract

This paper utilizes data from a comprehensive survey of construction firms in Northern Ireland to investigate the extent to which industry level skill shortages arise either as a result of a mismatch between existing industry employment structure and training provision and/or a general failure among training providers to keep pace with technological change within the industry. It was found that while there was some limited evidence linking imbalances in the existing structure of craft training with skill shortages, the incidence of unfilled vacancies was much more heavily related to a failure to keep pace with the increased demand for a more multi-skilled approach to training driven by the rise in prefabricated building techniques within the industry. However, it also found that a large scale shift towards multi-skilled training might be costly as it would tend to reduce worker productivity levels.