Martin Hurn, Editorial Director for UKCW Birmingham, explains why now is the perfect time for the construction industry to reflect, reset and rebuild
At UK Construction Week (UKCW) Birmingham, we feel that construction is due for a reset. Right now, the industry is facing some very real challenges, but the opportunities and potential are incredible.
The industry might be confronted with some big issues – a skills gap, rising material costs, and supply bottlenecks – but we really feel UKCW can act as a positive catalyst for change and help kickstart a golden age for the sector.
Now, UKCW is inviting the industry to take the UK Construction Week Skills Survey to better understand the current skills landscape across the UK construction industry.
Construction is one of the largest sectors in the UK economy – with a turnover of £370bn, contributing £138bn in value added to the UK economy and employing 3.1 million people (9% of the total UK workforce).
Our industry plays a massive role in creating careers, delivering better homes, retrofitting existing buildings, building communities, and driving a more sustainable future.
2022 survey highlighted gaps in construction skills
In 2022, we ran an industry-wide survey to gauge the sector’s mood and people’s perceptions of the reasons for poor recruitment uptake among school leavers, etc.
Now, four years later, we’re revisiting that survey to see if perceptions have changed – have we made any progress or, as we suspect, does the industry need a reset?
The 2022 survey found that over a quarter (26%) of respondents felt the solution to fixing the skills gap was ‘better career advice at school/college to paint a more attractive picture of construction to young people’, while 24% said the answer was ‘a long-term strategy to attract and retain talent, not just a short fix’.
Key barriers to young people pursuing a career in construction were perceived as the industry being seen as a ‘dirty job’ (23%), a lack of careers advice (19%), and the sector being seen as male-dominated (15%).
Personally, I can’t wait to see the results for 2026. It seems like the perfect time to reflect and reset; the UK is about to have its seventh prime minister since 2010, as well as a new cabinet and doubtless new focuses, ambitions and goals.
Bringing the industry together at UK Construction Week Birmingham
UKCW Birmingham plays an important role as a national platform for the built environment to connect.
Its location at the centre of the UK matters. With so much infrastructure, regeneration and development activity taking place across the Midlands and North, Birmingham is the right place to bring the industry together.
This year, we want UKCW to be more than an exhibition. It will be a meeting place for leadership, ideas, collaboration, and practical solutions, helping the sector address the challenges shaping construction today and in the years ahead.
Let’s be clear about what we are doing: our 2026 survey will be so much more than a few handy headlines and PR sound bites; we want it to help shape UKCW’s own roadmap and, in turn, that of the industry we all hold dear.
Secure your complimentary ticket for UKCW Birmingham here.
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