Laura Richardson, Director of leading aluminium and uPVC fabricator TWR Group, discusses the pressing issue of the industry’s fabricator skills shortage – and what the industry can do to help turn the tide.
As a director of TWR Group, I’ve witnessed firsthand the growing skills shortage challenge our industry faces, particularly in fabrication. This issue isn’t just affecting us here; as we are all aware, it’s a widespread concern that threatens the future of our entire sector.
From our experience, finding skilled fabricators for both aluminium and uPVC production has become increasingly difficult. It’s a trend that’s been developing for years, and if left unchecked, could severely impact our industry’s ability to meet demand and maintain quality standards. If there are no fabricators then there’s no work.
One of the root causes, I believe, is the competition we face from other sectors. For instance, driving for companies like Amazon can often offer higher wages than what we can provide for skilled fabricators, which is deeply concerning.
This links in to the ‘race to the bottom’ mentality I have spoken about recently; fabricators are worth their weight in gold and should have higher wages but when the demand of the industry is driven by price, to get that lower price, the likes of skilled staffs wages, quality of products and care and attention unfortunately drop.
How do we address this? I think it needs to be a two-pronged approach. Firstly, we must invest more in training and development. The fenestration industry needs to create more accessible pathways for people to become skilled fabricators, including expanding apprenticeship programs.
At TWR Group, we’ve seen the positive impact of bringing apprentices onto our factory floor. They are a breath of fresh air and bring fresh energy and new perspectives, which are invaluable.
However, we’re also acutely aware that many of our most skilled fabricators are older and have been with us for years and the lack of younger, trained professionals entering the industry is a growing concern.
Secondly, we need to work on making our industry more appealing to the younger generation. Let’s be honest – fenestration isn’t typically seen as a ‘sexy’ industry. But it’s our job to change that perception. Being a fabricator is a good job and it provides a great career.
We need to highlight the career opportunities, the satisfaction of creating high-quality products, and the essential role we play in construction and energy efficiency.
This is where I believe we need collective action as an industry. We should be pooling our resources and ideas to showcase the benefits of a career in fenestration. We need to be present at career fairs, engage with schools and colleges, and use social media to reach potential recruits.
At TWR Group, we take on a couple of apprentices each year, many of whom stay with us long-term, but we realise this is just a drop in the ocean and more work needs to be done.