A RETURN to a sky-high Liverpool construction boom is paving the way for Russell Taylor Group’s own staff expansion programme at its city-based operation.

With regional economic growth figures showing a Covid-recovery upturn for this year, the business is currently focusing on a major recruitment strategy to cope with the forecast demand for new construction jobs and skills.

Peter Rose, heading up the existing team of consultants, is bracing himself for a surge in new construction projects in the city itself and in the wider Liverpool City Region.

He said: “Like most big cities, Liverpool had to face many challenges as it worked its way through the coronavirus years then set out on the road to recovery.

“The construction industry here suffered greatly and many sites had to shut down; those that did stay open had coronavirus restrictions in place and their supply chains were disrupted.

“Now, howeer, there’s a huge feeling of confidence in the air and Liverpool’s Russell Taylor team, which we are expanding, will be putting passion and energy into getting the right skilled workforce on board to see high value projects completed and help rebuild local communities.

“Liverpool has a reputation for having some of the best construction trades skills and our job is to make sure only the most talented 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 this upturn in the industry.”

Optimism is currently running high for 2022 Covid recovery in the city with a GVA growth of almost 6 per cent forecast for this year compared to a pre-pandemic average of just 0.6 per cent.

This growth is being driven by the upsurge in the housing, hospitality, education, arts and student accommodation sectors. Employment in Liverpool is also positive too with 6,000 jobs expected to be added during the course of the year, bringing the number in employment to 286,000 – a record for the city.

Much of this confidence is centred around ongoing work in the Knowledge Quarter, building on Liverpool’s global leading strengths in health and life sciences, while the new Everton stadium is leading regeneration in the north of the city and contributing to the delivery of Liverpool Waters, a £5 billion scheme by Peel Land & Property to create a world-class waterfront development and bring life back to the historic docklands.

A strategic decision to locate the Liverpool operation to the sought-after Baltic Triangle has put Russell Taylor’s team of consultants at the centre of one of the city’s fastest-growing commercial and leisure spots.

As lockdown restrictions began to lift, Baltic building work began on multi-million pound hotel developments and this once unused area of warehouses, factories and breweries has now been turned into a thriving independent cultural hub.

Russell Taylor Group managing director Rob Kurton, based at the company’s Cheshire headquarters at Burton Manor, added: “Members of our Liverpool team are now perfectly placed in the heart of a vibrant city that, having come up against all the challenges of the pandemic, is now entering another new phase of economic growth.

“A welcome resurgence in construction work is bringing striking and innovative commercial and residential projects back to the city, making our recruitment operations top priority to hire a skilled workforce that will ensure this current mood of high optimism continues.”

Russell Taylor Group’s Liverpool office is based at 6 Brick Street in the city’s Baltic Triangle.