New research published by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) reveals that the engineering construction industry (ECI) could now face peak demand for workers in five years’ time and will need thousands of extra skilled workers.
New research published by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) reveals that the engineering construction industry (ECI) could now face peak demand for workers in five years’ time and will need thousands of extra skilled workersby 2030.
The ECI plays a crucial role in the UK meeting its net zero ambitions, spanning sectors that focus on the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of heavy industry, including oil and gas, nuclear, power generation, renewables, chemicals, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and water treatment.
The ECITB’s Labour Forecasting Tool (LFT) provides insights into workforce numbers across regions and sectors, predicting trends and potential future demand for workers in the industry.
Labour Forecasting Tool - updated predictions
When it was first launched in November 2023, the tool predicted 40,000 extra workers could be needed by 2028, taking into account retirements.
The ECITB’s updated forecast states that this figure remains unchanged, but indicates that peak demand has now shifted to 2030. Factors include delays in some projects that now coincide with other planned activity, along with an upcoming wave of possible retirements in key roles.
The LFT reveals the size of the overall ECI workforce could total more than 135,000 workers in five years’ time to meet demand, an increase of 19% on the current number of workers in industry.
The tool had previously stated there could be a 28% increase in demand for workers by 2028. The percentage decrease suggests industry has been recruiting successfully in the last two years to build the workforce needed for current and future projects.
In 2023, the estimated size of the ECI workforce was just over 101,000, but this has since increased by 13,000 to sit at 114,000 in 2025.
Should labour demand be met each year, the tool highlights that 2026 will be a pivotal year, with nearly 4,400 additional workers potentially needed next year. The LFT sugests that failure to meet demand in 2026 could lead to delays and could shift the pressure to subsequent years.
This could ultimately push the peak back, which in turn would have an impact on the delivery of projects which underpin the UK’s net zero commitments.
Occupations most in demand will include mechanical fitters, electrical technicians, process engineers, project managers, pipefitters, welders and design technicians.
The latest predictions are the most detailed yet from the tool which was updated using findings from the ECITB 2024 Workforce Census and publicly stated timescales on 3,000 active and future ECI projects.
Increase in number of workers under 30 now working in ECI not yet sufficient to counterbalance impact of wave of possible retirements
Andrew Hockey ECITB Chief Executive commented:
“These updates to the LFT give us the latest picture of future labour needs. It provides a strong evidence base to inform decision-making in helping address ECI skills shortages, which is central to our Leading Industry Learning strategy.
“2025 is the final year of our current strategy. But this is not just the ECITB’s strategy – it is our industry’s training and development strategy that ensures the ECI develops the generation-defining skills and workforce landscape needed to meet demand.
“But we recognise that addressing skills shortages requires a collaborative, multi-agency approach that includes employers, governments, training providers and the ECITB.
“So, we’re calling on all of industry to work together to help increase the pool of people joining the ECI, while continuing to train and upskill existing workers.
“By investing in the workforce, the industry has a fighting chance of closing the skills gap and ensuring the ECI has the skilled workforce it needs both for now and the future.
The ECITB’s new strategy will be published in September and will guide skills development across the industry for the next five years. It will aim to grow the number of new entrants, support employers to attract a more diverse talent pool and enhance workforce competence to ensure learners are both skilled and safe.
Andrew Hockey continued:
“The updates to the LFT reinforce the scale of the challenges facing industry that were outlined in our Workforce Census Report, which revealed that 71% of ECI employers are experiencing challenges in hiring workers.
“It also highlighted that despite an increase in the number of workers under 30 now working in the industry, this is not yet sufficient to counterbalance the impact of the upcoming wave of possible retirements, with the share of workers over 60 increasing to 14.7% of the ECI workforce, up from 11.6% in 2021.”
Sign In
