CITB Report: Construction Industry Needs an Extra 217,000 Workers

  09 June, 2021
CITB Report: Construction Industry Needs an Extra 217,000 Workers

In its most recent report, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has estimated that the industry will require an additional 217,000 workers if it is to meet future demand.

The findings come as part of the Construction Skills Network (CSN) Report 2021-25, which provides valuable insights into the UK construction economy and its labour market.

The information outlined in the report highlights trends within construction and outlines how the industry is likely to change over the coming years.


Findings from the CSN Report

One of the key takeaway messages from the report is that construction as a whole will need to recruit an additional 217,000 new workers over the next 5 years (2021 inclusive) just to keep up with demand. This equates to approximately 43,000 per year on average.

The booming demand, the report indicates, is being driven by a strong bounce back effect following the pandemic.

Huge infrastructural projects such as HS2 and the increase in private housebuilding are leading causes of the post-pandemic recovery.

The highest demand for trades is estimated to be those from wood trades & interior fit-out (5,500 per year), other construction professionals and technical staff (5,150), construction managers (3,600) and electrical installation trades (3,400).

7850 additional non-construction, office-based professionals, technical and IT support staff are also required, according to the report.

Furthermore, the Construction Skills Network forecasts that UK output will grow annually by an average of 4.4% across 2021-2025.​

“Output will return to pre-Covid-19 levels in 2022, driven in part by the vaccine programme and extensive government support, but also because many construction businesses were able to stay open and adapt rapidly to the new environment.”


Rising Repair, Maintenance, and Retrofitting

Perhaps most significantly for Novus, the report estimates that repair, maintenance, and improvement works will offer a significantly increasing contribution over the coming years.

The drive towards meeting net carbon zero-related targets, will subsequently see work streams centred around retrofitting existing property stock grow further.


Choosing a Career in Construction

The news reaffirms the pressing need to entice more people into a career in construction.

In recent months, Novus have written articles about the benefits of a career in construction, voiced a call for schools to do more towards guiding young people into the industry, and highlighted how construction can attract more women into construction careers.

A full copy of the CSN Report can be found by clicking here – download the CSN Report 2021-2025

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