The CFA will continue to champion the future of the industry through Future Fitters and its wider work, says Richard
In last month’s issue, I shared an update on the CFA’s Future Fitters campaign, our sector’s ongoing initiative to address the widening skills gap in flooring. The updated guide has been well received and is starting to gain real traction, detailing more apprentices coming through, increased employer engagement, and growing collaboration across the supply chain.
But while it’s encouraging to see progress, it’s also clear some of the underlying structural issues in our labour market remain unchanged and are, in part, contributing to the very shortage we’re working so hard to fix.
One of those issues, and a topic we perhaps don’t discuss openly enough, is the long-established split between employed and self-employed floorlayers. It’s a model the construction industry has operated for decades, and on the surface, it offers benefits. The flexibility to grow and shrink workforces in response to seasonal demand or fluctuations in project pipelines is undeniably valuable to contractors navigating an often-unpredictable market.
However, this flexible workforce model comes at a cost, especially when it comes to skills development. And while I’ll caveat this by saying it’s a generalisation (there are, of course, exceptions), the reality is that employed fitters are more likely to receive structured training, formal apprenticeships, and ongoing upskilling opportunities than their self-employed counterparts.
That’s only natural; when a business invests in training, it’s investing in its own future workforce. Investing in someone else’s sub-contractor, with no guaranteed return, understandably feels like a harder sell.
Our latest CFA member survey (2024) highlighted that approximately half of the labour force in our sector is sub-contract. When you consider that statistic in the context of our skills shortage, with an estimated 18% gap nationally and more than 12,000 installers needed, it becomes clear how significant a factor this is.
A fragmented labour force, without a consistent mechanism for upskilling, makes it much harder to build a sustainable, skilled workforce for the future.
What’s also worth reflecting on is why so many fitters choose to leave employed roles to become self-employed in the first place. The obvious and most cited reason is money. It’s often perceived that self-employment offers higher earnings, and on some projects, it can. Conversations between colleagues onsite can fuel this belief, with stories of higher day rates and increased take-home pay.
But it’s not the whole story. When employed, a fitter benefits from the security of a support structure, someone sourcing work, ordering materials, managing projects, dealing with clients, handling administration, and processing payments.
There’s holiday and sickness pay, pension contributions, employer-funded training, and HR support. When self-employed, all those responsibilities, and costs, sit with the individual. Tax, insurance, pension, downtime, training, and accreditations all come out of that supposed higher income.
That’s not to say self-employment doesn’t have its place. Many thrive in it, and it offers the flexibility and independence some seek. Nor do I see the industry moving away from its blended model of labour in the short term. But what’s important is that we acknowledge its implications for the future health of the sector.
If we’re going to reduce our skills gap and create real opportunities for new entrants, whether school leavers, career changers, or those in the workforce, we need to ensure there’s a robust, consistent framework for training and development that reaches the entire labour force.
And that brings us back to Future Fitters. The campaign isn’t just about attracting new people into the industry, it’s about building pathways for them to develop and progress. It’s about creating a culture where mentoring, skills transfer, and continuous learning are valued, whether someone is employed or self-employed.
In that spirit, I’d also encourage employers to think of their fitters as a long-term asset, not just a resource. If you’re not already doing so, take the time to sit down periodically, formally or informally with your employed fitters to talk about their ambitions, training needs, and progression goals.
A simple appraisal or career conversation can make a real difference. For those who want to progress, explore how that might be accommodated within the business and, if appropriate, formalise a plan. CFA offer a template in the members area of the website, and you can see an outline in the Future Fitter guide available from cfa.org.uk – downloads section.
It’s also an opportunity to remind employees of the benefits they already enjoy; paid holidays, pensions, structured training, and a support network, which in the future, particularly under the requirements of the Building Safety Act, are very likely to include mandatory training and continuing professional development (CPD) that will have to be managed and evidenced.
Whichever route people choose, and whichever labour model a business subscribes to, what matters is keeping the industry’s skills ecosystem in balance. Right now, it isn’t, and if we don’t address both the structural and cultural challenges within it, our labour shortages will remain stubbornly difficult to fix.
The CFA will continue to champion these issues through Future Fitters and our wider work. The future health of our industry depends on it.
The CFA is a leading trade association representing the Flooring Industry. If you would like an application pack or further information on the benefits of membership, please contact the CFA offices.
0115 941 1126
info@cfa.org.uk
www.cfa.org.uk
