Over 80% of adults believe that school children should be taught DIY skills in school to prepare them for later life.
Two thirds (66%) of all Irish people believe that modern men lack basic DIY skills and knowledge compared with previous generations, according to a new survey.
The research from DIY, hardware and homeware group Homevalue revealed there is a shortage in availability of skilled trade workers, as well as a growing appetite for encouraging younger generations to gain exposure to DIY skills.
According to the survey, just 49% of men and 30% of women say they enjoy doing as much as they can around the house and would consider themselves DIY enthusiasts.
Around one third (35%) of all adults felt it was better to hire a handyman to carry out household tasks rather than doing it themselves.
Those aged between 18-24, meanwhile, are almost twice as likely to avoid DIY tasks (20%) for fear of failure in comparison to older age groups, where less than 10% fear attempting household tasks.
Just over one third (35%) of Irish adults claim to enjoy supporting relatives and friends with DIY endeavours and enjoy learning to do new things around the house but would not feel confident completing tasks without some guidance and support.
The survey also found that 82% of adults believe that school children should be taught DIY skills in school to prepare them for later life.
Meanwhile, increased demand for home improvements works over the last year, along with backlogs in building activity due to successive Covid-19 lockdowns, has resulted in 38% of people encountering a significant delay in trying to secure a tradesperson.
Increased demand and a shortage of skilled labour have resulted in 57% of people having a newfound appreciation for being able to hire a tradesperson.
In response to these challenges, 80% of those surveyed believe the government and the construction sector should work together to ensure a more sufficient talent pool of trade-related skills.
Homevalue CEO Paul Candon said in a statement: “This research shows that there is a clear appetite to equip people with all the necessary DIY skills from a young age so that they can look after their homes safely.
“Similarly, it also highlights that the construction sector and government need to work together to ensure that there is a sufficient pool of skilled workers to meet current and future demands, otherwise construction and home improvement delays will become more severe over time.”
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