What’s the biggest skills gap in the concrete industry right now?

What’s the biggest skills gap in the concrete industry right now?

When Concrete Connect asked readers “What’s the biggest skills gap in the concrete industry right now?” the verdict was overwhelming:

• 90% – design & engineering
• 5% – on-site labour
• 3% – digital skills (e.g. BIM)
• 2% – sustainability expertise

The message is clear: the sector sees its biggest challenge not in day-to-day site labour, but in securing enough designers and engineers to support concrete projects across housing, infrastructure and industry.

Design and engineering under strain

Reports explain why our readers voted this way. The Construction Skills Network projects the UK will need 225,000 additional workers by 2027, with technical design roles especially hard to fill (Access Group, UK Construction Industry Outlook 2024).

The Guardian (2 February 2025) also noted that construction has 300,000 fewer workers than in 2019, with civil and structural engineering among the worst affected areas.

What the industry is doing – stories from Concrete Connect

Concrete Connect has been tracking how employers, government and training bodies are trying to close the gap:

• New colleges to boost construction skills across UK (20 Aug 2025) – Ten specialist Technical Excellence Colleges will train 40,000 workers by 2029, focusing on trades like groundworks and bricklaying.
• Holcim launches sustainable construction learning hub (4 Aug 2025) – A CPD programme offering UK professionals training in low-carbon building.
• Cemex backs new concrete testing facility (10 Jun 2025) – Partnership with James Watt College to develop future-ready skills in concrete testing.
• HS2 hits 500 apprentice milestone (22 Apr 2025) – Balfour Beatty VINCI welcomed its 500th apprentice on HS2’s West Midlands section.
• £600m pledged to tackle construction skills gap (1 Apr 2025) – Government confirmed major funding to support training for 60,000 workers by 2029.
• Skanska plays key role in Lower Thames Crossing jobs and skills drive (19 May 2025) – Training linked directly to low-carbon concrete and steel production for the £10bn scheme.

These stories show momentum is building — but the survey suggests professionals still believe design and engineering shortages remain the most pressing barrier.

Digital and sustainability skills – tomorrow’s priorities

Though just a small minority of readers ranked digital and sustainability expertise as the top gaps, both are increasingly vital.

• The CITB (2023) has stressed the growing need for BIM and digital modelling.
• Net-zero goals are creating demand for specialists in low-carbon concrete and retrofit techniques.

Our coverage of Holcim’s new learning hub and Skanska’s Lower Thames Crossing skills programme shows how industry leaders are beginning to respond.

Closing the gap

The industry is investing heavily in apprenticeships, CPD, and new technical colleges. But our survey shows readers believe the hardest shortage to tackle is still in design and engineering. Without a stronger pipeline of civil, structural and materials specialists, the UK risks delays to housing, infrastructure, and its net-zero targets.