The East Midlands is set to see a significant rise in engineering construction employment, with projections indicating an additional 1,650 workers will be needed over the next five years, according to updated data from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).
The ECITB’s Labour Forecasting Tool, refined with insights from the 2024 Workforce Census, suggests the region will play a critical role in meeting national infrastructure and net-zero goals across sectors, including power generation, renewables, hydrogen, carbon capture, and water treatment.
Across Great Britain, the engineering construction workforce is expected to grow by 19% to over 135,000 by 2030, two years later than previously forecast, due to project delays and an anticipated wave of retirements.
For the East Midlands, Derby remains the region’s hub, with the highest concentration of workers, and additional activity is also present near Long Eaton and Gainsborough. Key roles expected to be in high demand include mechanical fitters, project managers, and design technicians.
Employers in the region anticipate facing recruitment challenges due to wage expectations, competition, and a shortage of qualified candidates. The ECITB emphasises that addressing these issues will require coordinated efforts among industry stakeholders to scale up training and improve workforce readiness.
