Building a Better Tomorrow: What More Can the Construction Industry Do to Solve the Skills Shortage?

With the skills gap continuing to grow, it has brought the construction industry to a critical point. The latest report from the UK Trade Skills Index suggests that for the industry to close this gap, it will require an additional 937,000 new workers by 2032. With this, companies all over the UK are taking another look at their training programmes to equip both new and established workers with the skills required for the evolving demands of the sector.

At Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions, we are among those working towards addressing this concern. Here, James Maclean, our Head of Training Academies, gives valuable insight into what the factors of the shortage are and ways the sector can come together to overcome these challenges.

Understanding the Factors Behind the Construction Skills Gap

There are many contributing factors to the skills gap, but the rapidly ageing workforce is the major concern. Over a third of the construction workforce are over the age of 50 and are expected to retire within the next decade. Disruptions on top of this like Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic further increased this gap and called for more emphasis on targeted interventions. This is something we explore in more detail on our platform Building Better.

As many as 98% of young women have said they wouldn’t consider construction as a career and that stat alone illustrates just how difficult it is for the industry to attract a younger generation. Young people today often have a more technological interest when it comes to their careers, which are less physically demanding. This trend, combined with construction being perceived as heavy manual labour, justifies the need to modernise the image of the industry and emphasise how wide its appeal can be to various talents and interests.

Innovative Responses to the Skills Shortage

Companies like ours are helping bridge that skills gap through education and training. Through our Build Better Academy, we offer individuals accessible and comprehensive training programmes. This is taught through a blended learning approach which combines digital platforms with hands-on training sessions catering to diverse learning styles and ensuring learners are equipped with both theoretical understanding and practical skills – joining the dots between real-world challenges and classroom education.

Collaboration is Key

The skills gap will only start to close with the support of industry collaboration. Our Thistle Partnership Scheme is proof of how better resources could be shared to aid training and education, helping bridge the gap between academia and the needs of the construction industry.

As a result of our shared commitment with our partnership colleges, from April 2023 to April 2024, British Gypsum helped in the training of 2,362 students, which has been instrumental in supporting key businesses, including industry leaders with substantial numbers of learners benefiting from our programmes. At the outset of the year, we also allocated resources from the Saint-Gobain Levy to assist one of our key contractors, sponsoring ten apprentices annually with an investment of £140k.

It’s in partnerships like these that innovation happens, matching qualifications with the evolving demands of the construction landscape. Collaboration powers progress by having the work population ready for whatever tomorrow's challenge may be.

Lessons for Industry leaders

Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions along with other companies in the industry, offer valuable insights that are built from experience on how the ever-growing construction skills gap can best be addressed. This has led to collaboration in many ways with educational institutions, government bodies, and other relevant stakeholders toward finding a holistic approach to skills development.

Embracing diversity within the workforce has been critical in fostering creativity and innovation. Certainly, a more diverse and inclusive industry is not just a social responsibility but an integral strategy for driving long-term success in Building Better practices.

The construction industry faces an immediate challenge in closing the skills gap, but with proactive methods, we aim to lead towards a Better Tomorrow will keep pushing the industry forward.

Building Better with Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions

Building Better is our central platform designed to keep you up to speed on the latest developments in the industry – from podcasts and videos through to industry updates and more about the sustainability initiatives of Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions, British Gypsum and Isover.

Find out more here.