By Robert Ogg, MD of Akela Construction, part of the Akela Group, and CECA Scotland board member
ACROSS the border, political debate has been ignited by proposals to introduce dedicated, technical and skills-based learning pathways for 14-year-olds. It is a pragmatic acknowledgment that traditional academic routes are not the sole engine of economic success.
Here in Scotland, as our construction and civil engineering sectors face ever-increasing skills gaps, we must ask a critical question: do we need to be doing more in Scotland to showcase the construction sector as a career option for our young people?
The stakes could not be higher. Scotland is attempting to deliver some of the most critical infrastructure commitments of a generation. We are tasked with resolving a declared national housing emergency, delivering complex transport projects like the dualling of the A9, continued electrification of the rail network and executing a multi-billion-pound green energy transition.
Yet, industry forecasts indicate that Scotland requires over 3,500 additional construction workers every single year simply to keep pace with demand.
We are running up a steep demographic hill. A significant proportion of our most experienced craftspeople are approaching retirement, taking decades of expertise with them.
To solve this, we must radically rethink how we attract the next generation.
Too often, school pupils view construction through an outdated lens. Today’s built environment relies on advanced digital modelling, modern methods of construction, specialised groundworks solutions and clean-tech engineering. Our industry contributes around £4.5 billion annually to the Scottish economy and underpins over 30,000 jobs, offering diverse, well-paid and resilient career paths.
However, waiting until young people leave school at 17 or 18 to introduce them to these opportunities could be a missed opportunity. Scotland already has strong foundations through initiatives like Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the CECA Scotland Academy, but we need to go further and faster. We must embed practical, industry-aligned technical learning and employer-led taster programmes directly into the secondary curriculum for 14-to-16-year-olds. Giving teenagers direct exposure to real-world engineering and trade skills while still at school could well demystify the industry and open clear vocational avenues long before subject choices are locked in.
At Akela Construction, nearly 30% of our workforce is currently under the age of 30, and we have committed to increasing that proportion significantly over the coming years. We see every day the energy, innovation, and long-term value that young workers bring to complex sites. But individual contractors cannot solve a national deficit alone.
If Scotland is to build the affordable homes families desperately need, dual our strategic road networks and secure our green energy independence, we must build the human pipeline first. The blueprint exists; it is time for policymakers and industry to act together and turn inspiration into early-stage opportunity.
