Filling the Industry Skills Gap

Should construction firms be doing more to fix the skills gap?

The challenge      

With the construction sector set to grow around 2.4% per year between now and 2028, it is estimated that around 250,000 extra construction workers are needed to join the industry by 2028 to meet this growth. Although the construction industry normally recruits around 200,000 per year, this figure has dropped in recent years. This, along with many construction workers reaching retirement age and not being replaced, there is now a skills gap and shortage of people to fill these positions on and off site. If this skills gap isn’t met, or at least lessened, it will be difficult, if not near impossible, to reach the government’s 1.5 million new homes target.

Attracting talent 

One key focus area for all involved is to attract and retain skilled talent. However, there is strong competition across industries. While the most common route of entry to construction is apprenticeships, historically construction apprenticeships are one of the lowest attended in favour of other popular industries, such as Engineering or Healthcare. And, according to Protrade’s State of Construction Apprenticeships report, although the industry has seen a 7% increase of women, and 43% of diverse communities’ taking up apprenticeships compared to 5 years ago, the same report found that the overall uptake of construction apprenticeships in 2023/2024 fell for the second year in a row by 1.4%.

That said, the latest government data suggests that this trend may be shifting slightly. Between August 2024 and April 2025, 22,990 new apprenticeships were started in Construction, Planning and the Built Environment – a small increase compared to the same period last year. However, construction still falls behind sectors like Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, which saw 40,550 starts in that same time period, meaning more may need to be done to compete for new talent.

One reason behind this slower uptake could be that only 21% of construction firms employ an apprentice across the UK, and that only 10% of firms have more than one apprentice onboard at any given time. For many apprentices looking to join the workforce, there are limited study options available. According to UCAS, (61%) of applicants considering undertaking any type of apprenticeship didn’t pursue one because they couldn’t find one in their preferred location.

Retaining talent 

In a similar vein, as older skilled workers are retiring and leaving the force, many junior members of staff aren’t able to upskill or have the right route to progression available to them to take over their job role. A report from the Open University found that 63% of UK businesses do not have any specific type of recruitment, retention, or ongoing training initiative for apprentices or other target groups once joining, leaving skilled roles open and a reliance on outsourcing workers to fill internal talent gaps.

Many businesses say that this is due to a fragmented skills system, and a lack of coordination for business to access support, training, and government schemes they need, which has a knock on effect on the quality and types of training they are able to provide.

Clear pathways 

While the existing routes into construction are vital in closing the skills gap, there are key opportunities for businesses to broaden access to opportunities for younger people, career changers and also adult learners. Alongside offering more apprenticeships, additional routes into the industry should be part of the wider solution.

Companies could explore outreach opportunities through school engagement programmes, local career fairs, and university open days to connect with the next generation of workers. Alongside this, firms could offer new and alternative routes into the construction industry such as traineeships, returnships, and structured work experience placements which could help career changers, and support individuals into the industry who haven’t necessarily followed traditional pathways.

To retain existing talent, businesses could offer clear career progression opportunities, access to on-the-job learning, mentor schemes, and regular upskilling initiatives. Not only will this give incentive to employees, it will also allow them to train and take over the job roles of their superiors eventually leaving the industry.

Changing perceptions

Lastly, a large part of construction and reaching out to those on the fence around a career in construction is about changing the long-standing preconceptions that surround it – that it is all manual labour, and mostly male dominated. All firms should play a part in diversifying what they can offer their recruits, by tailoring their recruitment strategies and inclusive workplace policies to offer better internal support for people of all genders, ethnic backgrounds, and neurodivergent profiles.

This also goes for promoting digital skills, and alternative career opportunities in the industry, such as tech, finance, project management, or marketing. There exist a wide range of career paths in construction, and by staying ahead of the curve, and promoting a modern industry with a wide range of career opportunities, there will be a stronger appeal to recruits who are undecided on their career field of choice.

Emma Cox, Head of Marketing for Watts says:

“Many young people debating a career in construction will be turned off by outdated perceptions that construction is male dominated, and all about getting your hands dirty on the building site, which couldn’t be further from the truth”

“There is a lot more going on behind the scenes to keep our vital industry going, but to grow the force we should combine our strengths, challenge old ways of working, and do our bit to attract, retain, and train new talent.”

“Whether it’s work experience weeks, expanding apprenticeship offerings, or supporting employees through NVQs and career progression, there are loads of great initiatives and support schemes out there to bolster recruitment and development processes. But all in all, we need to be louder about all of the positive work we’re doing; whether that’s attending university open days, sharing real stories, and really rethinking what we can truly offer the talent of tomorrow, we can all take initiative and play our part in shaping the construction industry’s future.”