CONTRACTORS’ CORNER
Contractors’ Corner
Could building services help rescue the UK’s ‘lost generation’? T
he Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) says the building services sector could play a pivotal role in tackling the UK’s
growing youth unemployment crisis, following a government report warning that more than a million young people are currently without work or training.
Former cabinet minister Alan Milburn, who
authored the Department for Work and Pensions report into Neets (16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training), described the situation as “more than an economic crisis – it is a moral one”. His fi ndings show that six in 10 Neets have never had a job, while 84% want to work or train but are “fi nding the door of opportunity closed”. According to the Offi ce for National Statistics,
entry-level roles have fallen by around 1.6 million over the past two decades, and apprenticeship starts among young people have dropped by 35% since 2017. The wider economic impact is estimated at £125bn a year in lost potential. BESA believes the building services sector could
help reverse these trends. Its new Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) study, carried out by Pye Tait
Consulting, highlights the industry’s urgent need for digital and practical skills as heat pumps, smart building systems and energy-effi cient retrofi t work reshape job roles.
“Our industry has a growing problem with adopting new and emerging technologies, but Neets are a fully digital generation – they have never known anything else,” said Jill Nicholls, BESA’s director of competence and compliance. “Let’s solve our problem by harnessing all that under-exploited potential.”
The study found that 75% of employers struggle most with recruiting apprentices and trainees, with strong demand expected for labourers (37%), apprentices (33%) and trainees (30%) in the coming years. Many fi rms also report diffi culty accessing suitable training provision. While employers say traditional skills remain
strong, they face shortages in areas such as building controls, energy systems, heat pumps, ductwork and ventilation. Competition from other sectors and a lack of awareness about building services careers continue to limit the talent pipeline.
“Neets do not see our sector as a destination for them – they don’t see the opportunities and the
rewards,” added Nicholls. “Now is the time to bring these two groups together.” Employers surveyed expect the building services
workforce to grow by 11% over the next fi ve years, with installation and maintenance roles seeing the fastest expansion. Growth in heat pumps, smart heat networks and AI-driven design is expected to further reshape skills needs. Nicholls said a coordinated national eff ort is
now required: “A concerted campaign to promote opportunities for young people in this, and other economically and socially critical sectors, is needed to solve two of the UK’s most pressing problems: the shortage of opportunities for Neets and looming skills shortages for built environment employers.”
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