Construction is overlooking its most job-ready workforce

The construction industry doesn’t have a skills shortage: it has a translation problem. Every year, thousands of disciplined and physically capable individuals leave the armed forces. At the same time, we, as construction professionals, contractors and clients, continue to cite labour shortages as a critical risk to delivery. The irony is hard to ignore.

Military to Masonry is a direct response to this disconnect. It is a structured pathway that takes service leavers from zero experience to site-ready improver bricklayers in just 10 days – with guaranteed work from day 11.

Even in its earliest stage, the demand is clear. Since launching in March 2026, the programme has already received more than 20 applications from service leavers preparing to transition into civilian careers. The first cohort of five learners is scheduled for June 2026, with two further cohorts planned later this year. To maintain quality, cohorts will remain intentionally small with under 10 participants per intake.

If that sounds too efficient for an industry used to long training cycles, that’s exactly the point. This is more than just training, it is workforce deployment

Military to Masonry flips the traditional model. Instead of training without certainty, it aligns training directly with paid, onsite work. Learners complete a 10-day intensive programme and move immediately into paid roles with committed employers.

Importantly, the programme is being delivered free in 2026, removing financial barriers for participants and enabling rapid early adoption while the model is refined.

For an industry struggling with a lag between training and productivity, this is a fundamental shift.

Before laying a single brick, candidates complete Level 1 Health & Safety and obtain a CSCS card. That means they arrive on site already compliant, safety-aware, and ready to contribute from day one. This removes one of the biggest friction points in early-stage recruitment.

The training model mirrors the workforce it serves. The programme’s structure incorporates early starts, regimented days and hands-on repetition, which is deliberately aligned with military culture. By day 10, learners can lay bricks to line and operate within site standards.

This isn’t about teaching from scratch. It’s about translating existing discipline into a new setting, which means employers aren’t taking a risk, they’re reducing it.

Participating employers commit to fair pay, mentoring, and progression. In return, they gain access to work-ready recruits with proven resilience and teamwork.

Employers already engaged or expressing strong interest in providing placements include Caxton Builders, Bliss Brickwork, D Wardle Brickwork, Sackville Construction, Phoenix Brickwork, CARA Brickwork, Chine Brickwork, City Brickwork, Harlequin Brickwork, Galostar, G&B Brickwork, GSQ Brickwork, and Mason Brickwork.

In addition, several major housebuilders and tier one contractors have shown interest in supporting the programme through promotion and awareness, helping to scale its visibility across the sector.

One of the programme’s most overlooked strengths is what happens after placement. Continued upskilling, NVQ pathways, and structured career progression are embedded from the outset. This creates long-term careers – from bricklayer to supervisor to site management – not just short-term labour fixes.

Construction firms are under increasing pressure to demonstrate meaningful social value. Military to Masonry delivers exactly that: employment, skills development, and reintegration into civilian life. But this isn’t a box-ticking exercise. It’s a commercially viable workforce solution that also happens to deliver social impact and, as a model, it’s scalable, comprising structured cohorts, committed employers and national delivery partners.

Following its initial rollout, the programme will integrate with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), opening access to all Armed Forces leavers via a dedicated national platform. This will enable expansion across multiple UK training centres and create opportunities to collaborate with additional training providers.

Current projections aim to support approximately 25 learners in year one, increasing to 40 in year two, 60 in year three and 80+ annually thereafter.

The programme is particularly focused, though not exclusively, on individuals leaving the armed forces after one to two years of service. This group represents around 50% of annual outflow, equating to roughly 7,500 individuals each year.

So, what should construction professionals do differently? We need to start advising the embedding of employment pathways like this into procurement strategies. For contractors, it means moving beyond ad hoc hiring and investing in structured onboarding linked to programmes like Military to Masonry. For clients, it’s about recognising that workforce strategy is now a delivery risk and acting accordingly.

If the industry is serious about closing its skills gap, it must stop searching for new talent pools and start activating the ones that are already available. That means:
 • scaling programmes that guarantee employment, not just training;
 • embedding veteran pathways into framework requirements;
 • recognising transferable skills in hiring and accreditation processes;
 • backing initiatives with long-term industry commitment.

The potential impact is significant, but success depends on maintaining quality and credibility as the programme grows. Our aim is not to become another training initiative that lacks meaningful career progression. Instead, we are focused on creating a pathway that delivers real outcomes – sustainable employment, clear progression and long-term value for both individuals and the industry.

Military to Masonry proves that the transition from service to site can be seamless, structured and commercially effective. The real question is no longer whether this works but whether the industry is ready.

Eve Livett  is CEO of the Masonry Association of GB