Educate, Inspire and Empower
Educate, Inspire and Empower
When we talk about the future of construction, it’s easy to reach for the technical language of infrastructure, investment and innovation. But at the heart of every project, every build, and every plan is something more fundamental: people.
The construction and built environment sector stands on a knife-edge. It’s bursting with opportunity, spurred on by ambitious housing targets, green infrastructure needs, and net-zero goals. And yet, it’s also held back by a critical shortage of skilled workers. According to the latest figures, more than 35,000 jobs are unfilled across UK construction, with over half of those vacancies remaining open due to skills shortages – the highest rate of any sector in the country. That should stop us in our tracks.
And it’s not just about numbers. This shortfall might not only delay projects and push up costs—it will undermine the sector’s ability to grow, modernise and reflect the diverse communities it serves. That’s why Constructing Changematters so deeply, and why The 5% Club is proud to support its mission.
We believe that investing in skills and apprenticeships isn’t just good business – it’s a social and economic imperative. By encouraging employers to strive towards having at least 5% of their workforce are in ‘earn and learn’ roles – such as apprentices, sponsored students or graduate trainees -we’re helping to open doors for people who may never have considered construction as a career. And we’re proving that talent is everywhere, even if opportunity isn’t.
But let’s not pretend there’s an easy fix. The skills gap we face today is the product of decades of underinvestment, a reliance on overseas labour that masked domestic training failings, and an enduring image problem. Construction is still too often viewed as low-status, physically demanding, and male-dominated. It’s no wonder that dropout rates on construction courses are high, and that young people, especially women and people from underrepresented backgrounds, aren’t flocking to the industry.
This is why Constructing Change’s work is so powerful. It recognises that the real challenge isn’t just building new colleges or running more bootcamps. It’s changing perceptions, transforming pathways, and building a more inclusive, future-ready workforce.
The £600 million investment recently announced by the government is a welcome signal of intent. But it won’t go far enough without real cultural change within education, within industry, and within society. Construction must not be a career of last resort and must be promoted as a space for innovation, security, and purpose.
At The 5% Club, we’ve seen firsthand how employers creating structured pathways into employment can change lives. We’ve known of young people with no family history in the trades who have developed not only skills, but confidence, ambition and pride. Through our Accredited Membership and Consultancy Service, we’ve guided and supported employers who have reimagined their recruitment strategies, embedding social mobility at the heart of what they do, not just because it’s right, but because it makes them stronger.
And this is what “constructing change” really means. It’s about building futures as well as buildings. It’s about seeing potential where others see risk. And it’s about recognising that if construction employers want the sector to thrive in 10, 20, or 50 years’ time, they must continue or start investing in people today.
So yes, skills are probably the scaffolding of the sector. But inclusion, ambition and opportunity? They’re the foundations.
Build on them – together.
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