A new report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has revealed that if the construction industry continues with the same approach, it will encounter a widening gap between project demand and capacity to deliver.
The organisation has released its Industry Picture 2026, which explores the challenges and opportunities underpinning the sector’s skills gap, turning data and forecasts into a ‘clear, accessible’ view of the whole industry.
The aim is to help industry, employers, government, and training providers understand the trends and challenges for construction and where targeted action can have the greatest impact.
The Industry Picture claims that leaving the skills gap unaddressed any longer puts the industry at increased risk, and the results will be ‘tangible societal consequences’ with the homes and infrastructure that communities need either delayed or cancelled. Another repercussion is more economic; a widening skills gap will limit the volume of work that can be delivered and push up tender prices.
The Industry Picture 2026 highlights four connected themes:
- Fewer people are available to the industry
- Demand for construction skills is growing faster than supply
- Too many workers leave industry too soon
- Current productivity levels are insufficient to offset worker shortages
The report says industry must invest more in people, modernise its approach to skills and training, and work collaboratively. It recommends co-ordinated action to make construction a more attractive career option, connect better training with real job opportunities, improve flexibility to retain more workers at every stage of their career, and make better use of modern technologies.
The report concludes that achieving meaningful progress will require a unified effort from industry leaders, government bodies, training providers and CITB.
Marcus Bennett, CITB head of industry analysis & forecasting, said, “Construction is central to the UK’s economic future, yet the industry faces a workforce challenge that is becoming more pressing each year. Not enough people are entering the industry, too many experienced workers are leaving, and productivity has not improved at a sufficient rate to plug the gap. As a result, the industry’s capacity to deliver on housing, infrastructure and retrofit commitments, is under increasing strain.
“The Industry Picture presents a wide body of evidence of what is happening, why challenges persist in construction, and where targeted action can make the greatest impact. Industry, Government, training providers and CITB all have a shared role in building a stronger workforce. The evidence is undeniable: a cross-industry solution is the only option to solve the workforce challenge.
“The report will also help to inform CITB strategy going forward, and we hope it will inspire government departments to work together and more effectively with training providers and industry to think differently about how we tackle the great opportunities for the industry, enabling us to build a better future.”
To download the full report, visit: www.citb.co.uk/the-industry-picture
