Civils firms report rising workloads and orders, but are facing increasing difficulties in finding skilled employees.
Civils firms have reporting rising workloads and orders indicating the recovery across the infrastructure sector is beginning to gather momentum, but firms are facing increasing difficulties in finding skilled employees, the latest trade survey by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has found.
The CECA Workload Trends Survey for Q1 2014 found that workloads of Britain’s infrastructure and civils contractors have increased, with 39% of firms on balance reporting increasing workloads, against 15% reporting that workloads had declined.
The survey found that only three out of 10 sectors reported declining workloads declined compared to Q1 last year. These were airports (- 16%), local roads (-9%) and gas (-26%).
The survey also found that orders recovered strongly in Q1 2014, with 40% of firms on balance reporting growth in orders. This compared to weak orders growth in the final quarter of 2013, when just 3% of firms on balance reported orders growth.
However, the survey found contractors were reporting escalating pressures to find suitably-qualified workers, with more than a quarter (26%) of firms on balance struggling to find skilled employees.
