An additional 216,800 construction workers will be needed in the UK by 2025 to meet demand, a report by the CITB concludes.
The report adds that the sector has “bounced back quicker than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry will reach 2019 levels of output in 2022”.
It adds that major projects such as High Speed 2 (HS2) are driving that growth with infrastructure and housing projects expected to see “the healthiest pace of expansion” over the next four years.
The report also predicts a growing contribution to come from repair, maintenance and improvement work, as retrofitting existing buildings to meet net zero emissions targets becomes more important.
In terms of annual average recruitment requirement (ARR), the most in demand trades are forecast to be in wood trades and interior fit-out (5,500 per year), other construction professionals and technical staff (5,150), construction managers (3,600) and electrical installation trades and (3,400). There will also be a demand for non-construction, office-based professional, technical and IT support staff (7,850).
CITB policy director Steve Radley said: “It’s great to see construction coming back so strongly and creating lots of job opportunities. We need to adopt new approaches to meet these growing skills needs and deliver these quickly.
“We are working closely with government and FE to build better bridges between FE and work and make apprenticeships more flexible. We are also making significant investments in supporting work experience that make it easier for employers to bring in new blood.
“We must also make sure that we invest in the skills that will drive change and meet new and growing needs such as Net Zero emissions and Building Safety. We will be announcing plans soon to tackle specific skills and occupations such as leadership and management, digital skills and skills related to energy efficiency.”