Construction
Construction Occupations
Annual average employment growth in construction occupations was well below the national average over the last five years. Modern methods of construction will represent a shift in the skills profile required in construction: developments such as off-site construction, digital transformation and sustainable construction standards affect the demand for the volume and skills-mix of construction workers.
The supply of construction skills from the formal education and training sector has increased in recent years; however, given the rapid pace of change occurring in today’s workplace, many of the required skills will have to be sourced from within the existing workforce, both construction and manufacturing.
Future demand for construction skills will be driven by the nature of both private and public sector activity. Factors affecting activity levels include access to finance, costs (materials, labour), planning and infrastructure capacity, as well as technology and modern methods of construction. Evidence of skills shortage was inconclusive for occupations where employment numbers were too small (e.g. construction technicians, and operative/elementary occupations) to allow for further analysis.
Shortage
· Civil engineers & construction project managers
· Quantity surveyors
· Carpenters
Potential future skills shortage
· Plumbers