Training today's workforce for tomorrow's building safety challenges
The Government’s decision to expand the Cladding Safety Scheme to include lower-rise buildings with serious fire risks is a positive step forward for residents, building owners and the wider construction industry. And, as more buildings become eligible for support, demand for skilled professionals to deliver remediation work safely and effectively will continue to grow.
Employers need access to a skilled workforce capable of carrying out specialist cladding and retrofit work, and without enough trained professionals, projects risk delays, rising costs and ongoing recruitment challenges.
At The Skills Centre, we're helping bridge that gap by working with employers to develop the skilled workforce the industry needs. Through our specialist cladding and retrofit training programmes, we're equipping learners with the practical skills and knowledge to move into employment, giving employers access to job-ready talent while creating rewarding career opportunities in one of construction's fastest-growing sectors.
A growing demand for specialist skills
This news shows how the construction industry is continuing to face unprecedented demand for skilled workers in cladding remediation and retrofit. Thousands of buildings across the UK still require work to improve fire safety, while the drive towards more energy-efficient homes and commercial buildings continues to accelerate.
The Construction Industry Training Board has estimated that:
41,000+ extra construction workers are needed every year
250,000 new retrofit workers are needed by 2028
27 million UK homes require energy-efficiency upgrades
At The Skills Centre, we're working with employers to develop the specialist cladding and retrofit workforce the industry urgently needs and to bridge the skills gap to help produce trained, competent workers.
Our specialist cladding and retrofit programmes have been developed to equip learners with the practical skills, knowledge and confidence employers are looking for, helping them move into employment and supporting businesses to access a pipeline of job-ready talent.
Our Introduction to Cladding/Roofing Occupations bootcamp, which we run from our Build East site, is a free 5-week bootcamp, including work experience. This course is aimed at new or recent entrants to the construction industry, with a CSCS Green-card or above.
The course prepares learners for a career as a cladding specialist, providing the foundations and on-site experience needed to launch a new career.
We work with specialist cladding companies across the UK, and all courses are delivered in partnership with a local employer, providing real on-site work experience for learners and opportunities to interview for open roles.
Since we launched our bootcamp, we have recorded 200 starts and 45 have been confirmed into jobs.
Turning skills shortages into career opportunities
While the industry faces a shortage of skilled workers, it also presents a huge opportunity for people looking to start a career in construction or retrain for a growing sector.
Cladding and retrofit offer rewarding careers that combine practical skills with the opportunity to make a real difference, improving the safety, sustainability and quality of buildings across the UK.
These aren't short-term jobs. They are careers that are becoming increasingly important as the construction industry evolves.
This is a huge opportunity, not only for those interested in joining the construction sector, but for those in the sector to build valuable and in-demand skills, and individuals can apply via our website here: Introduction to Cladding Occupations | The Skills Centre
