Construction Industry Survey Hammers Home Skills Shortages

Construction Industry Survey Hammers Home Skills Shortages

Teletrac Navman announces results of comprehensive survey into NZ’s construction industry

Dunedin, New Zealand, 4 August 2017 – As demand for construction surges, the industry is constrained by capacity, compliance and sluggish contract turnaround times.

Results from the first New Zealand Construction Industry Survey reveal a staggering 84 percent of those in construction industry management roles (General, Project and Fleet Managers) identify labour and skills shortages as a major issue facing the industry, with 69 percent of all respondents agreeing. Almost two thirds of respondents (64 percent) anticipate that they will be needing more staff in the upcoming year. So severe is the shortage that 84 percent of respondents say they would hire immediately, if labour with the right skills were available. That’s a big ‘if’ - finding skilled, motivated workers who can pass workplace drug testing is proving to be a real challenge.

Presented at the Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) annual conference in Dunedin, the Survey is a joint research project between Teletrac Navman, CCNZ and Contractor magazine. The Survey gauges the attitudes of people in the construction industry on a wide range of issues regarding productivity, training, staffing, safety, measurement and the use of technology.

“We want a strong, successful and productive industry, but need change. Focus should be on reducing approval and turnaround times for projects, and improving collaboration between the public and private sectors. We can’t do it alone. We need local councils and central government to work with us to complete projects efficiently and to a high standard,” says Peter Silcock, Chief Executive at CCNZ.

A significant three quarters (74 percent) of Owners and Directors identify compliance costs as the most important area requiring change in the NZ construction industry, as do 57 percent of all Survey respondents. The need for better, not more, regulations is the prevalent view held by 80 percent of the respondents. Other key areas requiring change are, the approval and turnaround time on construction projects (34 percent), and collaborative private-public partnerships to enable future planning and sensible operating environments (33 percent).

Despite the challenges, the Survey indicates positive attitudes towards industry growth, a dedication to workplace health and safety, and smart thinking around improving productivity.

“Overall, there’s a strong feeling of optimism, and plenty of forward thinking from the Survey respondents. Building a strong reputation, being customer focused, developing skillsets, and investing in technology are key opportunities identified for businesses,” says Jim French, Construction Industry Specialist at Teletrac Navman. “We are very proud to be leading this research project which provides a good insight into the industry. I hope it encourages industry leaders, the wider construction community and government to tackle the issues together.”

The New Zealand Construction Industry Survey is available to download at http://www.teletracnavman.co.nz/construction-industry-survey

ENDS

Construction Industry Survey Methodology

The 2017 Construction Industry Survey is an online survey that sampled 159 adults within the New Zealand construction industry. The Survey was commissioned by CCNZ and Teletrac Navman, and produced by research firm Colmar Brunton. Margin of error for the total sample is + or - 7.8 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. Data was collected from 24th May to 15th June 2017 by Colmar Brunton.

About Teletrac Navman

Teletrac Navman is a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider leveraging location-based technology and services for managing mobile assets. With specialized solutions that deliver greater visibility into real-time insights and analytics, Teletrac Navman helps companies make better business decisions that enhance productivity and profitability. Its fleet and asset management technology uncovers information that would otherwise go unseen, helping customers reduce risk and confidently move their business forward with certainty. It tracks and manages more than 500,000 vehicles and assets for more than 40,000 companies around the world. The company is headquartered in Glenview, IL, with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. For more information visit www.teletracnavman.co.nz.

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