A better quality of life and enhanced career opportunities are driving UK tradespeople to seek work abroad and the new study uncovers which countries are attracting our skilled workers the most.

Researchers at the trades platform analysed Google data for 15 types of trade jobs in different countries around the world. By comparing UK search volume over the past year with the previous 12 months, the results show where different trades are increasingly looking to find work around the world.

In total, there were more than 1 million searches made for trade jobs in different countries since June 2022. Across the 15 trades, 10 are looking for work in Australia more than any other country. Saudi Arabia appears three times, and Brazil and Spain both feature once.

For construction jobs in general, searches for jobs in Saudi Arabia have gone up the most, with interest rising by 293% over the past year. Australia is the country in which cleaners looking for work abroad are the most interested, with search volume increasing by 183%.

Searches for plumbing jobs in Saudi Arabia have gone up by 171%, searches for painting jobs in Australia have risen by 158% and searches for plastering jobs in Australia have seen a 158% increase.

This is likely to exacerbate the shortage in labour and skills experienced by the construction industry. According to Rated People, almost two-thirds (63%) of UK trades are struggling to fill roles this year.

Brexit, a lack of young people getting into the industry and the cost-of-living crisis are key factors contributing to this lack of skilled workers. 

The 2023 Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report reveals that 48% of UK adults weren’t offered a trade career as a job option in careers advice at school. And, despite the UK government rolling out T-Levels to encourage more young people into apprenticeships, fewer than 10,000 students enrolled on a T-Level course last year.

The newly rolled-out initiative has also recently faced criticism. Ofsted says the courses offer poor value, inappropriate work placements, and high dropout rates, despite being described by the UK government as “gold standard” vocational qualifications. 

As a result of fewer young people entering the workforce, the average age of trade workers in the UK is increasing. The most recent data is from 2018, where ONS reported one in every five UK-born construction workers was aged over 55. By now those people are passed the retirement age, while not enough young people are entering the industry to fill their work boots.

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People commented: “The Government’s latest bid to fix the shortage by relaxing visa requirements for foreign workers is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to fix the root cause by encouraging more young people into the industry.

“School careers advice should be highlighting the incredible opportunities available in the industry. Trade jobs can offer high earning potential and great work-life balance, and by choosing a vocational path after school, students can avoid the debt that many face from going through university and paying significant fees.

“The Government also needs to enhance T-Level qualifications and make it worthwhile for trades businesses to offer apprenticeships so young people can get valuable experience whilst learning on the job.”