The president of the Federation of Construction Entities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Oscar Izquierdowarns that the lack of specialists in the sector is causing delays in the works in the south of the Island. offer them the workers they demand,” the leader of the Fepeco.
Izquierdo attributes this situation to the lack of generational replacement in the works, by slowing down the incorporation of trained young people to replace specialists who are close to retirement age, since many qualified workers have chosen to work in the underground economy so as not to lose their benefits. state they receive. “To these people, well known in their towns for their professional worth, we ask them to take a decisive, responsible and supportive step and join the companies and, therefore, the regularized economy, because we need them,” he said.
The positions that need to be covered on a priority basis range from first and second masonry officers, to render and place blocks, to tilers, tilers, laminated plasterboard installers, facade painters with a degree in vertical work, scaffolding assemblers, crane operators, foremen, electricians, plumbers and solar panel installers. Peons are also needed to help the officers.
After the pandemic and as a result of the tourist recovery, the South registers an intense activity for the construction sector, since to the relaunch of public works we must add the rehabilitation works in hotels, apartments and holiday homes, where the reforms and conservation and maintenance tasks. “The demand for workers in the region is very high because the activity is enormous to modernize and adapt the accommodation plant, especially in the vacation rental modality as it implies continuous reforms,” said the president of Fepeco.
The construction federation warns that to the delays in the start of the works due to the lack of specialists, two other factors are added that delay the work of operators and machinery. “There are town halls that take up to four years to grant a building permit, to which is added the increase in the cost of raw materials, which also makes it difficult to start or continue the works, because it is difficult to obtain materials such as steel on the non-European market”.
From Fepeco it is pointed out that the vast majority of people registered in employment offices willing to work in the sector do not have training or have a professional construction card, essential to work. “We have already notified the Government of the Canary Islands that the unemployment data is not real, we have the best figures in recent years,” Izquierdo remarked. Official figures indicate that the number of Social Security affiliates in this labor segment in the Islands has increased by 2,400 people in the last year, when 56,864 were counted last month.
To improve the quality of the workforce, the Construction Labor Foundation has signed an agreement with the regional Executive to train 715 professionals in 19 specialties, with 36 courses on innovation and sustainability aimed at unemployed (70%) and employed people. (30%).
“Thanks to this agreement with the Government, the Foundation is doing an impressive job to train as many workers as we can. When the courses end, the incorporation is immediate to the companies”, affirmed the president of the Tenerife builders, who made an appeal to increase the female workforce. “There are only 6% of women working on the construction site, although we are very hopeful because we see in the Foundation’s training courses that more and more are incorporated. We welcome both them and young people in general with open arms. This sector has enormous potential and a great future”, he stated.
