Skills - draft
Building the skills needed for the future of construction
Skills are central to the future of the built environment. As the sector responds to rapid change — from digital transformation and new technologies to sustainability, productivity and workforce challenges — developing the right capabilities has never been more important.
In this video, Tercia Da Silva Jansen van Vuuren, Research Associate at the Cambridge Laing O’Rourke Centre, reflects on our wider work and commitment to supporting skills across the built environment.
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Why skills matter
The construction industry plays a crucial role in enabling a thriving society by providing and maintaining buildings and infrastructure. However, the industry’s workforce faces significant challenges, including labour shortages, an ageing workforce and difficulties recruiting young people.
The sector must also accelerate the adoption of new technologies and innovations. To do this, industry, academia and policy must work together to create an appealing working environment that attracts talented people and equips the workforce with the skills and competencies required to embrace new ways of working.
Empowering the workforce for a modernised construction industry
Skills form an important part of the Cambridge Laing O’Rourke Centre’s wider research and engagement agenda. As part of this, the Centre is working with the Construction Leadership Council’s sub-working group on Skills for a Modernised Industry to support delivery of the outcomes outlined in the Industry Skills Plan.
One of the key outputs from this collaboration is our report developed with the CLC. Through this work, we explored the sector’s skills needs and provided evidence, insights and recommendations to support meaningful action.