There’s a growing consensus across construction that the skills challenge can’t be solved by inspiring the next generation into the sector alone. While attracting new entrants is important, the bigger opportunity (and the bigger risk if ignored) lies with the people already working in the industry.
Speaking ahead of November’s BE-ST Fest, a two-day industry conference focused on net-zero carbon construction, Mark Farmer, founder at Cast Consultancy, will be sharing his insights on the future of construction skills at this year’s BE-ST Fest Summit.
The case for reskilling
As industry embraces new methods, digital tools, and low-carbon construction techniques, the pace of change is challenging our traditional ways of training. Upskilling the existing workforce is essential to keep up with these shifts, but long-established ways of working can make new approaches harder to embed.
But we can’t let this get in the way of progress – failing to adapt could limit the sector’s ability to deliver housing, infrastructure, and growth at the scale expected by government and clients, and needed for society to thrive.
“If we don’t have the right skills across the whole workforce, we’ll see gaps and mismatches,” Mark warns. “That will restrict our capacity to deliver the projects the UK needs.”
Employers and tertiary education both have a role to play in tackling this skills challenge, but their priorities can sometimes diverge. Employers need people who can deliver projects today, while educators must prepare learners for what’s coming next.
Mark believes that training programmes should blend traditional skills with emerging ones in areas like digital construction, manufacturing, and sustainability to deliver the competencies needed for current work and future demand.
However, achieving this also requires flexibility from funding and policy frameworks which often rely on outdated standards. As Mark notes, “When funding is conditional on delivering courses rooted in the past, you have a problem.”
Overcoming the barriers
Small and medium-sized businesses make up the backbone of UK construction, but engaging in upskilling can be challenging for them due to time pressures and tight profit margins that can be affected by taking time out for training.
We need to embed systems that make skills currency visible and valued, such as digital skills passports or live competency registers, to create a culture of lifelong learning.
“These ideas can sound bureaucratic, but they’re just about raising standards and ensuring that every worker remains equipped for the job they’re doing and to do the jobs society needs most, which requires both incentives and accountability.”
There are examples of the kinds of upskilling we want to see already happening. The Association of Brickwork Contractors, for instance, runs “masterclasses” that build on core apprenticeship training to teach advanced craft skills. And the Green Plant Academy, linked to the Earls Court redevelopment in London, is retraining plant operatives to use electric and autonomous machinery.
Aligning policy, industry, and education
The alignment between government, industry, and education is, as Mark puts it, “the Gordian knot” of construction skills policy. The diverse makeup of the construction sector means it can be hard to speak with one voice, and generic approaches to training across all sectors often fail to capture the industry’s specific needs.
Mark argues that to fix this the sector should present coherent messages to policymakers and leverage leadership forums and trade bodies to demonstrate a united front. Consolidating those voices will help government understand what’s really needed and avoid creating “noise” that can dilute the message.
Why pipeline confidence matters
The biggest single factor influencing skills investment is confidence. Construction operates in cycles, with fluctuating pipelines that can make employers nervous to take on apprentices or invest in long-term training.
“Our willingness to employ and train people is directly linked to confidence in pipelines.” Mark explains. “When the pipeline is uncertain, training is seen as a future problem, but we need to change that as that’s how we create tomorrow’s workforce.”
A smoother, more predictable pipeline of projects would give both employers and educators the stability they need to plan ahead. It would also help training providers justify the costs of developing new courses and facilities.
Mark argues that a more consistent project pipeline, underpinned by cross-party commitment and long-term regulatory certainty, especially around decarbonisation, would transform confidence and enable the sector to invest in its people.
“It’s not always about spending more money,” he concluded. “It’s about how and when we spend. Smoothing the pipeline would give industry the confidence to plan for the future and build the skills base we need.”
Attendees at the BE-ST Fest Summit on the 5th of November will hear Mark share his ideas in a keynote speech about how we upskill today’s workforce to create the foundation of a resilient, productive, low-carbon industry.
BE-ST Fest is the culmination of a month-long festival celebrating the sustainable built environment. It brings together hundreds of professionals from construction and the built environment to showcase best practices and highlight emerging opportunities.
It takes place the 5th and 6th November at Paisley Town Hall, Glasgow – book your free tickets now http://www.be-stfest.org
