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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Peace practices what it preaches

Peace Recruitment, experts in the construction, engineering and property sectors, is warning that the skills shortage which has engulfed the construction industry is now spreading

Peace Recruitment, experts in the construction, engineering and property sectors, is warning that the skills shortage which has engulfed the construction industry is now spreading.

Peace, who recently took on three new recruits, two of whom are graduates, says there is a lack of skilled-candidates across the board in the UK currently and that companies need to invest in young, ambitious and hungry talent now to prevent this problem from escalating in the future.

“From our own research, placing candidates and looking to expand our own recruitment team, the skills shortage is definitely spreading into other sectors, the level of candidate most companies are looking for is simply not there,” explains Chris Peace, Managing Director of Peace Recruitment.

“We have just expanded our team, and we had to change our recruitment process, as we could not find the right skilled candidates we were looking for. So we have taken on two graduates and one other, all in more junior positions, but we will invest time and money in them to train them up. The level of candidate most companies are looking for, namely someone with relevant qualifications and at least 2 years’ experience, is not available across the board. The majority of firms stopped investing in graduates during the recession, and we are all feeling the effects of this now.

“We have been recommending to all our clients for some time now to invest in more graduates and more junior personnel, and we are doing exactly the same. It takes a little more time and effort at the beginning, but companies will reap the benefits in the long-run. The young, hungry talent is definitely out there. Be selective, look for potential, invest time, train, fast-track, this is how to beat a skills shortage in any sector.”

Peace recently expanded its team to 16, and has expanded its portfolio to now include the facilities management and energy sectors.

It has taken on Paulina Baltrukeviciute, 23, who just completed a degree in Festival & Events and Marketing Management degree at Edinburgh Napier, as a recruitment consultant specialising in the facilities management. The second new recruit is Andrew Watson, 28, who is focused on the energy sector. Andrew is currently finishing a distance learning Business Enterprise degree at Edinburgh Napier. The third new recruit is Gavin Sullivan, 22, who is recruiting for Project Managers.

Since its creation in 2009, Peace has transformed itself from a ‘one-man-band’ into a multi-million-pound company. It now has a team of 16 specialist consultants each with an in-depth knowledge of their target markets. Peace prides itself on being different from its competitors, and prioritises service before sales. Its success has been built on providing specialist expert advice, combined with exceptional customer service.

www.peacerecruitment.co.uk