A new report published today explains how Scotland can widen and improve routes into construction and the built environment to ensure the sector has the people and capabilities to meet the country's future ambitions.

Pathways to Productivity, commissioned by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on behalf of the Construction Accord's Skills and Workforce Group and delivered by BE-ST, examines how the industry can attract, recruit, develop, train and retain the next generation of talent.

Drawing on engagement with employers, representative bodies, education and training providers and public-sector partners across Scotland, the research explores the conditions needed for employers to recruit and upskill the future workforce. It maps how current entry pathways operate and proposes ways to strengthen and scale them, creating more opportunities to tackle skills imbalances.

Construction underpins Scotland's economic, environmental and social priorities — from delivering homes and hospitals to upgrading infrastructure and driving the transition to net zero. A resilient, well-skilled workforce will be essential to realising these goals.

Forecasts indicate the construction workforce could rise to around 214,500 by 2029. With the Construction Industry Training Board estimating that about 8% of the workforce must be replaced annually due to natural attrition, sustained efforts to attract and develop new entrants remain critical.

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As the sector evolves, demand is growing for skills in digitalisation, modern methods of construction and compliance with new performance standards. The report identifies an opportunity to design pathways that both broaden participation and build the competencies required for a modern built environment.

It highlights the need for stronger collaboration across the construction skills ecosystem — including employers, training providers, representative bodies and public partners — to ensure pathways are accessible, flexible and aligned with future workforce needs.

Stakeholders identified six shared measures of success as central to improving the flow of new entrants: workforce capacity, competence, employer confidence, sector culture, workforce composition and long-term continuity in workforce planning.

The findings contribute to the Construction Leadership Forum's Skills and Workforce Mission to support workforce development and strengthen the sector's long-term resilience. The research was informed by sector engagement events held with SDS and the CLF Skills and Workforce Group, alongside a survey circulated through BE-ST and CLF networks. An Executive Summary of Pathways to Productivity is available now.

Douglas Morrison, Deputy CEO at BE-ST said: "Scotland's construction sector faces long term challenges in both workforce capacity and capability, set against rapidly evolving client and industry requirements. Through engagement with stakeholders across the system, there is clear motivation to increase the flow of new entrants and strengthen lifelong learning.

"However, while there is broad agreement on the challenges, perspectives on solutions vary significantly. This report does not seek to prescribe a single answer but instead sets out a range of practical levers to transform and optimise how we recruit, develop and sustain the workforce for the future. We intend for it to inform longer term discussions on evolving our approach and to encourage active engagement from all those involved across the system."

Elaine Ellis, Skills Planning Manager (Construction and Net Zero) at Skills Development Scotland, said: "Workforce and skill shortages persist across many key roles in construction, yet individuals wishing to train for these positions encounter significant barriers to entry and often struggle to secure the new entrant roles necessary for developing competence.

"This research explores some of the reasons behind this paradox. Its aim is to act as a catalyst for change and to set out some of the barriers that need to be addressed. Supporting people to enter the sector - and, crucially, ensuring they can develop the skills required for the future - is not only a win for those aspiring to join a sector rich with opportunity, but also a win for the sector itself and our wider built environment."