It is now 46 years since I began my career in the construction industry and since I am retiring soon, I want to write about two things that have hardly changed in all that time.
Cowboy builders
The first thing is what is now commonly known as ‘cowboy builders’.
Only this morning I was asked to go and look at a job carried out badly by someone who quite clearly did not know what they were doing. The client was taking them to the small claims court – good luck with that.
A national newspaper carried an article last week about someone who had employed a ‘builder’ who had charged them thousands of pounds and left them with a hole in the roof. They had then paid someone else to put that right and the new builders had done the same thing. The customer had thought that as they were a member of Checkatrade they would be covered – but that is not how it works – they only cover up to £1000 in damages – and had only paid out after pressure from a newspaper.
However, this was not really a new story – you could have read a similar article 40 years ago – and I was looking at ‘disaster’ jobs 40 years ago.
We now have programmes like Cowboy Builders and Rogue Traders naming and shaming these people but still it goes on.
The Federation of Master Builders and other trade organisations have campaigned for many years to get some sort of legislation brought in to try and contain the problem but to no avail.
Most governments whether Labour or Conservative make noises about changing the law to deal with this problem but to date nothing has been done.
We still have a situation where anyone who has never held a hammer can buy a van and call themselves a builder.
There is no register and no check on credentials and is very easy for them to become members of one of these so called vetting organisations who will run for cover when problems arise.
It would be quite simple for the government to make it impossible to trade as a builder without being given a government accreditation to prove that they are competent to work in the industry.
Obviously, this would not be perfect as everything is open to abuse but it would go a long way to removing the reputation the industry has got.
Apprenticeships
My second criticism is concerned with apprenticeships.
I took on my first apprentice in 1981 and shall be taking on the latest in September.
I have had quite a few over the years in various trades – some good – some not so good and some very good – but they were all given a chance. We are a small company but I like to feel that we have contributed.
However, the one thing which has remained static within construction over the last 40 years is lack of skills. There has just not been enough government support for full apprenticeships. We have had systems such as the Youth Opportunities Scheme in the 1980s through to various works skills training courses in the 1990s and work placements in more recent times.
The one thing though that they do not give to the individual is a full-time job. That is what is wrong with the system – a person needs to feel wanted and part of where they are working – not something that can be cast aside on a whim – they need to gain some pride. We need more investment in apprenticeships within this industry.
This country is the most uninsulated in Europe and hopefully with a change of government we will see the re-instatement of the green grants.
We already know that should there be a large roll out of grants to insulate houses. We will need more trained operatives.
I have asked the Construction Industry Training Board and the government to try to get a qualification solely to carry out the works associated with the insulation industry. To date I have had no response. but I shall keep on trying.
Both of my topics go hand in hand – fewer skilled and more unskilled people carrying out the work.
