Construction is a very diverse industry that includes activities ranging from mining, quarrying and forestry to the construction of infrastructure and buildings, the manufacture and supply of products, as well as maintenance, operation, and disposal.

The sector is also diverse in nature and ranges from large multinational operators to independent, local micro businesses.

Construction is recognised as a priority sector due to our existing strengths and the significant growth opportunities in the sector including:

• Population growth leading to increased demand for construction of infrastructure and housing, supported by the government’s ambitious targets to build new homes.
• Long-term major public infrastructure projects such as HS2 and local infrastructure projects, such as the West Midlands Rail Freight Interchange and employment site are also likely to contribute to jobs growth.

Alongside housing and infrastructure, the sector is also seeing opportunities emerge from new technologies and ways of working such as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), such as offsite manufacturing and prefabricated house building, which are changing the shape of construction and have the potential to significantly increase productivity.

The Green Economy is also key to the sector with opportunities emerging in areas such as sustainable construction and renewable energy e.g. heat pumps installation and the creation of half a million jobs nationally in retrofitting home insulation in existing properties.

To support the sector to grow there is high and increasing demand for labour and skills including site ready trade skills such as plumbers, electricians, and joiners, alongside this there is demand for higher skills such as architects, civil engineers, quantity/chartered surveyors, and Modern Methods of Construction advanced skills demand.

Top hard skills in demand:

Construction

Plumbing

Painting

Carpentry

Public Liability

Civil Engineering

Subcontracting

Boilers

Risk Analysis

AutoCAD

Top common skills in demand:

Communications

Management

Planning

Customer Service

Infrastructure

Operations

First Aid

Problem Solving

Enthusiasm

Detail Orientated