You say: from Mark Mitchell, Cornwall Group Chairman
With construction output expected to grow steadily through 2025, the signs of recovery are encouraging. But while the order books may be filling up, a growing shortage of skilled workers could stall progress before it starts.
We talk a lot in our industry about recovery – about orders picking up, interest rates falling, and how we might finally be turning a corner after years of turbulence. But there’s one issue that threatens to derail all of it: the skills crisis.
As we entered 2025, the construction industry saw some encouraging signs. Construction new orders jumped by 26.6% in Q1 compared to the previous quarter, with the value of commercial new work hitting £3.9 billion – its highest level in over a year.
And yet, across every boardroom and job site, the same conversation is playing out: we don’t have enough people to do the work.
It’s not a new problem, but it is a worsening one. The UK construction workforce shrank from 2.6 million in 2009 to just over 2.1 million by Q1 2024. That’s half a million fewer workers in 15 years. And the glass sector is not immune.
From production to installation, we’re finding it increasingly difficult to fill roles with the right people, and it’s affecting productivity, project timelines, and quality standards.
At Cornwall Group, we’ve chosen to meet this challenge head on. We’re not waiting for someone else to fix it. In fact, our ambition is for at least 10% of our team to be on an apprenticeship journey at any one time – a target we’re actively delivering against.
We’re immensely proud of the success stories this approach is producing. In February, two of our apprentices, Ruby Salmon and Josh Coopey, were recognised at the 2025 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards, with Ruby taking home the Engineering & Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year title.
These are the future leaders of our business, and their impact is already being felt. Ruby, for example, led the development of a new digital spare parts catalogue that’s transforming operations across three of our manufacturing sites.
It’s easy to look at apprenticeships as a cost. But that’s a short-term view. We believe they’re an investment in the resilience and future of our industry.
We’re working with GFTS to ensure our programmes are tailored to real-world requirements by offering cross-site experiences to help apprentices find their true calling.
We’ve also made it our responsibility to shout louder about the sector. A recent survey found that only 5% of students consider a career in construction. So alongside promoting our apprenticeships, we also actively engage with local schools and educational centres, encouraging work experience opportunities for students.
We believe that introducing these experiences much earlier – from Year 7 onwards – would offer far greater value than the often brief and late-in-the-day placements seen in Year 10. Earlier exposure helps young people understand the opportunities available and broadens their outlook at a much more formative stage.
If we want to fill the talent pipeline, we need to show people that this is an industry where they can build something meaningful – literally and professionally.
Recovery may well be on the horizon, but without meaningful investment in people, it’s unlikely to last.
