A SURGE in the capital’s large scale construction programme has tripled the recruitment workforce at Russell Taylor Group’s London office.

Headed up by its new operations manager, Steve Sockett, the business’ London and South Division has grown to a staff of nine in its first year of operation.

Despite a challenging period for the construction industry, London is now beginning to experience an explosion in the growth of office space along with multi-million-pound build projects for new homes.

To cope with the demand for construction trades workers to make build projects a reality, Steve has put in place a recruitment programme of consultants hiring teams of bricklayers, joiners, carpenters, electricians, scaffolders and labourers.

After a month in post, he said: “From a team of three when I joined Russell Taylor Group, we now have nine consultants who are recruiting for both temporary and permanent jobs in Construction, Electrical, Mechanical and Engineering and Trades and Civils as well as for permanent white-collar roles.

“There’s no sign at all of a slow-down in construction here – London is just one big building site.

“Our job is to make sure only the best people are put to work on these major projects – some of which have been affected by a shortage of skilled labour – so they are completed on time and can contribute to the forecast upturn in the industry.”

According to the Construction Skills Network, London and the South West – along with the West Midlands – is the most buoyant of the English regions with growth predicted to be at 2.2 per cent up to the year 2023. Around 168,500 jobs are expected to be created throughout the country, up by 10,500 from 2018/22 figures of 158,000.

London’s skyline saw a dramatic change this year with the total number of tall towers - from the pre-planning stage all the way through to completion - at a record high figure of 541.

Earlier in the year, the government announced more than £600m of new infrastructure spending to potentially support the construction of up to 50,000 new homes in London and the South East.

Steve, who has more than 19 years’ experience in temporary and permanent recruitment in Fire and Security, Mechanical and Engineering, Construction, Civils and Trades, said: “All this adds up to a buoyant construction market where there’s an abundance of well-paid job opportunities in and around the capital for a range of construction skills.”

From his Russell Taylor Group base in the heart of the city, he added: “This huge surge in construction activity, with striking new commercial and residential building projects transforming the face of the London skyline, makes our recruitment operations top priority to ensure a continuing mood of optimism in the construction industry.”