Industry consultancy One Way has unveiled three proposals to help tackle the construction sector's growing skills shortage.

The company suggests increasing gender diversity, widening talent pipelines and improving the wider public image of the sector will help to alleviate the situation.

The recommendations come as new analysis by the organisation suggests around 27,000 projects will suffer from a lack of suitably skilled and qualified workers over the next five years.

On improving gender diversity, One Way Managing Director Paul Payne said: "It's downright negligent to almost rule out half of the workforce from working in the industry, but that's essentially what is happening.

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"We don't need to go over-the-top, but considering how we could make the sector that bit more inclusive would make a huge difference. No other mainstream industry suffers from such a colossal lack of diversity and it's certainly a major factor contributing to the skills shortages."

Mr Payne added very few people do not realise the potential a construction career holds.

"The main stereotype is that a job in the sector means being cold and muddy and standing outside digging a ditch somewhere. That needs to change," he continued.

"The skills of quantity surveyors, for example, are similar to those of an accountant, and rather than being handcuffed to a desk for the rest of your career, they have the chance to work on major infrastructure or construction projects. Unfortunately, nowhere near enough people outside of the sector know about this."

Mr Payne also suggested firms need to "be proactive, get into schools and colleges and actually speak to children about the potential a career in the field holds".

"The alternative is to rest on our laurels and continue to do very little, which will only lead to the construction industry in this country falling apart," he concluded.

(LM)