Following a detailed study of the sector’s skills requirements, the Association believes the “critically low” number of trainers and assessors is undermining the industry’s whole further education (FE) process.

It said that failing to address this issue would leave the industry unable to plug skills gaps and meet demand for its services by the end of this decade. 

Therefore, it has launched the ‘BESA Skills Legacy’ programme to enlist the help of experienced industry members who can help education providers deliver the courses needed to increase the number of qualified people entering the sector.

BESA said the scheme could give colleges and other education providers greater reassurance that building engineering training courses would be supported, allowing them to invest in the necessary resources.

The lack of appropriately qualified people to operate and run training and apprenticeship schemes means the FE sector regards the sector as high risk, leading to a shortage of training capacity nationwide.

“Our workforce is ageing and is already under intense pressure,” said BESA’s head of skills and policy Stuart Rattray.

“The average age across construction-related sectors is 53, so a labour force crunch is looming without a dramatic increase in young people coming in.

“However, simply improving recruitment will not address our fundamental problems. Unless we address the shortage of trainers and assessors who can deliver programmes, the industry will be unable to meet demand within a few short years.”

Rattray said the Skills Legacy scheme was aimed primarily at engineers with practical experience who may be in the later stages of their careers and who were looking for either a new challenge or the chance to “give something back” to their industry by helping to foster a new generation of engineers.

Launched to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (#NAW25), BESA’s nationwide scheme is bringing together employers, represented by BESA, and the FE sector to provide a pathway for anyone with the right skills, experience and qualifications to become a qualified trainer or assessor.

Individuals must be qualified to the level they assess and will support courses in their own technical discipline.

The Association has already established a national network of FE providers to deliver the nationally recognised training, assessor, and quality assurance (TAQA) Level 3 programme in every part of the UK.