A roadside sign outside Dandara’s Reayrt Mie housing development in Ballasalla reads: ’All trades wanted’.

It’s a sign of a growing skills shortage, already present before Covid-19 but exacerbated by the border restrictions, that has been causing real headaches for the construction sector.

A shortage of skilled workers was a common theme among the 120 building-related businesses that took part in a recent survey by industry body Construction Isle of Man.

Groundworkers, joiners, engineers, labourers and bricklayers are among those trades that are in short supply.

Long before Covid-19 hit, the Manx government moved to relax work permit rules for certain sectors in a bid to tackle the island’s widening skills gap.

Construction Isle of Man is now working with University College Isle of Man to set up new courses to enable workers to retrain for in-demand roles.

A new groundworks apprenticeship will start in the new year.

Construction Isle of Man’s chief executive officer Corelli Bentham said: ’The construction industry is always subject to peaks and troughs. Training of fully qualified crafts people takes time and is therefore difficult to provide a work ready workforce on demand.

’Difficulties in attracting young people into our dynamic industry also increases the issue.

’Whilst there has been growth in apprentice take-up over the last three years (55% since 2016 ), there are still skills gaps, notably ground workers, joiners, engineers, labourers and bricklayers.

’This is not a Covid issue, this is an industry-wide issue in attracting the next generation to join our industry. However, the ability to attract skilled workers to the island has been affected by the Covid restrictions.’

She said: ’We are working with University College Isle of Man, Chamber of Commerce and the Department for Enterprise to identify skills gaps to enable the expansion of and development of courses for new applicants and those wishing to retrain.

’We are also looking at developments in the industry which utilise alternative forms of construction to gauge possible future demand and also at greener construction and the impact this has on our current and future skills requirements.’

Sam Warren, head of faculty for environment and sustainability at UCM, said: ’The university college liaises with the industry to ensure we provide a diverse range of training to meet their needs.

’Enrolments on courses have remained high this year with the exception of the higher national in construction and the built environment programme, which did not run due to a low uptake.

’We hope to deliver this again in 2021.

’We are excited to announce that a new groundworks apprenticeship has been developed by UCM, working in partnership with the construction industry and will be starting in the new year.

’We are also developing new training programmes to support government’s climate action plan, providing reskilling courses to retrofit properties’.

Property developer Dandara did not wish to comment on its appeal for trades.

But it is understood all the positions for the Reayrt Mie development were filled some time ago.

Developers do from time to time use high profile sites to gauge interest for future vacancies.