Mark Ewen, head of buildings at Mott MacDonald, talks to Nicky Roger about aligning education with industry demand, retaining experienced people and broadening routes into construction.
You have a personal interest in technical education through your family. How have routes into construction changed?
I have two sons who are young adults, and their experiences have given me a perspective on how much things have changed. My youngest is studying for a T-level in construction management at Leeds College of Building.
When I entered the industry more than 20 years ago, the options felt much narrower: you could leave school and go straight into work, or follow the traditional university route. My son is a practical learner who benefits from hands-on experience, so combining technical education with practical learning is a much better fit for him.
That is a positive development for the industry. We need a broad and diverse workforce, and widening access through different education and training routes helps us attract a greater cross-section of society.
How well aligned are education and industry when it comes to future skills needs?
We need the government, education providers and employers to work together, with a shared understanding of where the industry is heading and what skills will be required.
One of the biggest challenges is understanding what the future project pipeline will look like and where investment is likely to be made. Greater visibility would help employers plan and ensure those leaving education have the right skills and opportunities.
At Mott MacDonald, we are seeing growing demand for building services expertise, particularly mechanical and electrical engineering. There is increasing work around refurbishment, improving building efficiency and the drive towards net zero. Data centres are another growing market, partly driven by artificial intelligence.
We need to anticipate demand rather than simply react when a skills gap emerges.
Is recruitment the biggest challenge facing employers?
The pressure is not uniform across the industry. At graduate and apprentice level, we continue to see strong opportunities and are generally able to fill those positions.
The more immediate pressure is often at the mid-career level. There is a need for experienced people who can join a project and make an impact quickly. In a competitive market, those individuals have choices, so retaining them is just as important as recruiting them.
Offering people opportunities to work on exciting projects helps keep them engaged. Skills planning cannot focus solely on bringing new entrants into the industry – we also need to develop and retain experienced people who can deliver complex projects.
What role should employers play in encouraging young people into construction?
Industry must engage with education providers and government, rather than expecting schools and colleges to produce people with the skills employers need. That engagement should begin well before young people reach college or university.
Employers can help pupils understand the range of careers available in construction and engineering and show them what working in the sector can mean. I am passionate about ensuring young people understand those opportunities.
Earlier in my career, I worked extensively in flood risk. Designing solutions for residents who had suffered flooding, seeing those solutions built and hearing that their homes were no longer affected was hugely rewarding. Sharing experiences like these helps demonstrate the real-world impact of our work.
Are alternative routes into the industry becoming better understood?
Awareness of technical education and apprenticeships is growing. People increasingly recognise that a Level 6 apprenticeship, for example, can lead to a degree-level qualification.
My sons have taken different routes than me. I hope my career has helped inspire my youngest, while his older brother has chosen an accountancy apprenticeship. There should be more than one way into a successful career.
But we cannot take progress for granted. We must continue promoting these opportunities and ensure education aligns with government policy and industry demand.
Ultimately, government, education and industry need to work together so young people can see a route into construction, employers can plan for the skills they need, and the sector can build the workforce required to deliver future projects.
If the industry gets this right, what should entering construction and engineering look and feel like for the next generation?
We want a career in construction and engineering to feel exciting, dynamic and collaborative, with straightforward pathways, a diverse workforce and an abundance of opportunities.
This also means getting to work on projects that are inspiring, create a sense of purpose, and make people proud of the work they do.
The government’s education agenda could be genuinely transformative for the construction industry. But to get it right, the sector needs to work together and take ownership of ensuring the next generation has a clear route into the profession.
