The construction skills gap starts in the classroom

The construction industry has spent years trying to solve its skills shortage, but too often, we’re focusing on the wrong point in the pipeline.

Much of the attention is placed on apprenticeships, training routes and recruitment. While these are essential, they come at a stage where individuals are already making career decisions, by which point, for many, construction is no longer under consideration.

That challenge is becoming more pronounced. In Scotland, around a quarter of the construction workforce is aged 50 or over, highlighting a growing replacement challenge in the years ahead. Across the UK, more than 225,000 additional workers will be needed by the middle of the decade to meet demand. At the same time, skills shortages are already constraining trades and technical roles.

This has implications beyond individual businesses. When skills shortages persist, delivery slows, affecting how quickly and at what scale homes and infrastructure can be built. The Scottish Government has set a target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, including 70% for social rent, yet delivery continues to fall short of overall demand. Workforce demand is no longer a parallel issue; it is central to the industry’s ability to deliver. 

For many young people, construction is not an obvious career choice. Awareness of the breadth of roles available remains limited, and there is often little visibility of how those roles translate into real opportunities. By the time decisions about further education or employment are made, construction is often absent from the conversation altogether.

That’s why earlier engagement is critical.

At Cruden, we’ve been addressing this through our Employability Strengthening Programme (ESP), which brings real-world experience directly into the classroom. By giving  pupils practical exposure to the industry, not just talking about it, we’re helping them understand what a career in construction actually looks like, and how their existing skills can translate into it.

Practical, hands-on activity is key. It allows pupils to connect classroom learning with real-world application - from measurement, problem solving to understanding how different roles contribute to a project. This not only demystifies the sector but makes it more relevant, engaging and accessible. 

There is also a wider opportunity for the industry. When developers and contractors invest in schools as part of community benefit activity, it strengthens connections with local communities while supporting a longer-term model for workforce development. It creates a clearer link between the places being built and the opportunities available to the people who live there.

Addressing the skills shortage requires more than attracting people at the point of recruitment. It demands a sustained and consistent, long-term approach that builds awareness, interest and confidence from an early-stage. 

With wider adoption, the sector is better positioned to develop a more resilient, diverse and sustainable pipeline of talent for the years ahead.

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