ECITB Unveils Five-Year Plan to Address UK Skills Shortages

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has unveiled its new strategy, Leading Industry Learning, outlining how it will help to address skills shortages and support industry growth in Great Britain.

The strategy sets out a five-year plan, from 2026 to 2030, to develop the skills needed for the delivery of critical infrastructure projects, energy security and net zero ambitions.

Shaped by insights from employers, training providers, asset owners, the government, trade unions and other industry bodies, the plan reflects the real needs and evolving priorities of the engineering construction industry (ECI).

The ECITB forecasts that 40,000 additional workers could be needed for major projects, including those related to net zero, by 2030, placing employers in direct competition for labor from $724 billion (£531 billion) of infrastructure projects in the wider U.K. economy.

These projects span a range of sectors, including nuclear new build and decommissioning, renewables, oil and gas, water treatment and food and drink. They will also include hydrogen and carbon capture projects linked to the decarbonization of the industrial clusters, which are at the heart of the country’s net zero plans.

The 2026-30 strategy aims to help industry meet the workforce volume challenge and prepare