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Affordable Homeownership
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This blog highlights the critical decline in technical construction skills, like plumbing, and electrical workers, and how the decline threatens the feasibility of affordable housing. It explores 7 actionable Steps & strategies that can help to Rebuild and add Value to Technical Skills.
If you’ve talked to someone in active construction, you’ve likely heard them complain about the shortage of workers and the increased costs associated with outsourcing skilled labour from neighbouring countries.
Affordable housing discussions often centre on funding limitations and income barriers. However, the rapid decline in technical construction skills is an equally pressing issue that lurks beneath these concerns. The shortage of skilled labour does not only threaten the quality and feasibility of affordable housing projects but also the longevity of construction as a reliable industry.
Here’s how the decline in skilled labour is affecting the present and future of construction and affordable housing and how addressing them can benefit the housing sector.
Education in Nigeria, as in many parts of the world, heavily emphasizes academic degrees over skill-based training. Technical and vocational education is often undervalued, leading to fewer young people entering skilled trades.
For example, especially with the increase in demand for tech skills, skilled (vocational) artisans like plumbers and electricians are ageing out of the workforce, but few young people are stepping up to replace them.
Many see jobs in construction and technical fields as less prestigious than other careers. Our social perceptions, values and attitudes often push young people and students toward university degrees, sidelining skill-based trades.
This cultural push creates a knowledge gap as skilled labourers retire without replacements.
Often, skilled jobs such as carpentry or plumbing are looked down upon, and perceived as less dignified or financially rewarding compared to white-collar professions.
This perception deters many young people, even when these trades have the potential for stable income and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Recently, Nigeria has seen a surge in “Japa” (mass migration) as skilled workers seek better pay, stability, and quality of life abroad. This “brain drain” has left industries, especially construction without the trained workforce needed to sustain growth.
With the most experienced professionals leaving, affordable housing projects are increasingly understaffed and overextended.
As fewer young people enter skilled trades, the construction sector suffers from increased labour costs, delays, and compromised quality.
This decline hits affordable housing projects particularly hard, where budgets and timelines are tight. Skilled labour gaps mean that even well-funded housing projects face challenges in execution.
Educational programs should emphasize hands-on skills as early as primary school, with introductory courses in trade skills. Technical training at secondary and tertiary levels needs to be reformed to match market needs, incorporating apprenticeships and certifications directly linked to career pathways.
The apprenticeship model, particularly the traditional “Igbo apprenticeship system” in Nigeria, could serve as an effective method to train young people in essential trades. By expanding this model across other regions and industries, skills will be naturally preserved and passed down.
The misconception that skilled trades are “lesser” career options needs to be dismantled. Highlighting success stories of tradespeople who build prosperous careers or businesses can shift the narrative. Public campaigns or partnerships with influencers would change perceptions, making trade jobs more appealing to young people.
To combat mass migration, governments and private sector players could offer competitive pay, career progression, and quality-of-life benefits to skilled tradespeople. Retention programs will encourage artisans to stay and invest their skills in local projects rather than seeking opportunities abroad.
Public-private partnerships can fund vocational education and build local vocational training centres focused on the most needed skills, such as masonry, plumbing, and electrical work. By providing scholarships, toolkits, or subsidized training, young people will have tangible incentives to enter skilled trades.
To meet immediate needs, on-the-job training programs can be implemented for those interested in transitioning into skilled trades. Incentivizing current professionals to train others or creating mentorship opportunities will help develop the next generation of skilled labourers.
Industry organizations and educational institutions can collaborate to present trade work as essential, stable, and potentially lucrative careers. Offering competitive salaries, bonuses for certifications, or pathways to entrepreneurship will incentivize young people to enter these fields.
The decline in skilled labour affects the speed, cost, and quality of housing projects. By addressing this skills gap, the affordable housing sector can access the workforce it needs to grow sustainably, providing quality homes while building local economies.
Affordable housing initiatives would benefit from reliable access to skilled trades, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget, and fostering trust in the industry.
Technical skills are foundational to sustainable development and critical for expanding affordable housing. By empowering a new generation of skilled tradespeople, we will be better equipped to address housing shortages more efficiently, support local economies, and build resilient communities.
As a society, embracing and elevating technical skills can create a sustainable, inclusive approach to housing that transcends economic barriers.
What is the point of a blog if we can’t plug a reminder about what we do and why this matters to us?
So, here goes….
PetitHaus remains committed to affordable, sustainable housing development, understanding that supporting technical construction skills is an investment in the future of the industry and the well-being of communities.
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