HR & Skills News

A Home Builders Federation (HBF) initiative, the NHBC Masterclass series offers fully funded training courses delivered by experts in their field covering roofing, bricklaying and dry lining. Aimed at professional tradespeople looking to keep up to date with the latest industry practices, they provide practical skills and improved knowledge to support the delivery of high-quality new homes.

Evelyn Long, industry expert and editor in chief of Renovated Magazine, discusses how the UK's construction culture holds back recruitment.

Chris Sleight, managing director of Off-Highway Research, has joined the board of the Construction Equipment Association (CEA)

Rob Hounsome of SLR Consulting discusses how contractors can responsibly and effectively scale up as their business grows.

Ahead of Project Management Day on Thursday 6 November, Bret Tushaus, vice president of Product Management at Deltek, looks back at the achievements of project managers, as well as how they can lead the next wave of innovation.

A former Vodafone building has been announced as a Leeds College of Building expansion, allowing for more students and training facilities.

TICA's CEO has written a warning against two government programmes for construction skills reforms, stating that niches may be lost.

A new report by researchers at King’s Business School has warned that modern slavery risks in the UK’s housebuilding sector are poorly understood, under-researched and largely undocumented, despite the subsector’s significant contribution to the economy and growing political focus on expanding the supply of new homes.

The new Built Environment Futures Assembly aims to bring together diverse voices from across industry, government, professional bodies and education to address the sector’s most pressing challenges

CIOB’s Sophie Cox discusses the organisation’s latest plan to reach more under-18s and spark an enthusiasm for construction that they hope will translate into a new generation of talented professionals.

Launched in 2013, the Fairness Inclusion & Respect (FIR) programme at the Supply Chain Sustainability School is committed to empowering organisations in the construction and built environment industry to attract, retain, and engage a diverse workforce. Dana James-Edwards discusses the latest research on its impact.

Construction’s chronic labour shortage has reached a new inflection point in 2025, as immigration pressures, demographic shifts, and rising project demand converge. From Washington to Warsaw, contractors report that skilled trades are harder than ever to find — and harder still to keep.

RIBA and the Fawcett Society have published a new report highlighting very little progress in equity for women in architecture.

Professor David Oloke of Anglia Ruskin University, discusses the importance of training in addressing the UK construction skill crisis.

Scotland’s largest construction trade association has repeated its alert about the rising trend of “six-week wonders” – and expressed dismay that some courses now appear to be offering even shorter training periods in electrotechnical work.

Scottish women in construction are expected to receive a boost from the Circle Partnership's pilot programme in the country.

Construction capacity is being held back in key areas, despite recent government reforms, says the latest CIOB report.

Insulation specialist Actis has backed a warning by the NHBC that ‘skill, baby, skill’ is required for the government to achieve its target to ‘build, baby, build’ 1.5 million homes by 2029.

A new built environment school resource has been launched by the BE Schools Trust to raise awareness of the industry in young people.

Funding has been given to Equans for their digital construction skills programme, which seeks to raise standards in skills and projects.