 Paul Bunce travelled from Zimbabwe to work at the job site |
The construction of a new shopping centre in Norwich has led to an unexpected shortage of skilled builders. About 400 construction workers are on the Chapelfield site, but 400 more are needed to complete the project.
The Chapelfield development will have 114 homes, 90 shops and 1,000 parking spaces.
Rob Hetherington, with Job Centre Plus, said employers across Norfolk had been struggling to find trained workers.
He said: "It's not just a Norwich issue
"It's a much wider issue across the county - there's a big need for construction workers.
"We're doing what we can to help employers find the right people, and the more we can get, the better it is."
News of the labour shortage has already spread. Paul Bunce came from Africa to work on the project after being told of its scope.
Mr Bunce said: "I was in Zimbabwe and bumped into a friend who had just been over to England and seeing as I've got all the legal documents, I came straight over here."
The development, set on the site of a former chocolate factory, is to open in September next year.
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