The inaugural Fair Chance Week urged employers to recruit people with criminal records. Lyndsey Gallagher FCIOB, CEO of Gallagher Group, says that construction is uniquely positioned to benefit from fair chance hiring.
Construction is being asked to deliver more than ever before and under pressures not seen in a generation. New homes, renewed infrastructure and a net-zero future are all big goals – yet at the same time we face persistent skills shortages that threaten growth, delivery and productivity. Increased cost pressures, a tight labour market, an ageing workforce and longstanding skills and productivity challenges continue to constrain growth.
In the inaugural Fair Chance Week, a growing number of construction leaders advocated that part of the solution is hiding in plain sight: fair chance hiring is opening up access to work for people with criminal records.
According to CITB Construction Skills Network forecasts, the industry will need to recruit the equivalent of 50,300 additional workers every year between 2024 and 2028 just to meet expected levels of demand, up from previous forecasts. Over the same period, 251,500 additional workers are expected to be needed nationally, before accounting for any acceleration in housing delivery or net-zero retrofit programmes.
The challenge is structural as well as cyclical. Around 31% of construction employers cite finding suitably skilled staff as their biggest challenge, while the sector continues to experience high churn, with more than 200,000 workers leaving the industry annually. Demographics intensify the risk: more than a third of the workforce is aged over 50, and retirement rates are accelerating.
At the same time, construction productivity continues to lag the wider economy. Output per worker per hour is estimated to be 13.5% below the UK average, limiting the sector’s ability to deliver against growing demand.
The overlooked talent pool
While new entrants, apprenticeships and upskilling are essential, they alone will not close the gap. By 2028, the UK is expected to have a potential “fair chance” talent pool of up to 10 million people: individuals with criminal records face systemic barriers and are too often excluded from recruitment despite being able and willing to work.
One in four working-age adults in the UK has a criminal record, yet fewer than one in five employers actively recruit people with convictions. This exclusion is not only unjust, it is also economically unsustainable.
Evidence shows that employment is one of the strongest drivers of reducing reoffending. Ministry of Justice data shows that only 31% of people are in work six months after release from custody, despite employment being consistently linked to lower reoffending rates. Improving access to stable employment reduces both skills waste and social costs.
Construction is uniquely positioned to benefit from fair chance hiring. The sector already values practical skills, onsite learning and progression through experience, factors that suit candidates who may not have traditional employment histories. Employers that have adopted inclusive recruitment practices report strong loyalty, higher retention and motivated workforces, all critical to improving productivity.
Inclusive workforces are also a competitive advantage. Research consistently links diverse and inclusive teams with better problem-solving, improved safety culture and stronger long-term performance, outcomes the industry urgently needs as projects grow in complexity.
Fair Chance Week and Unite 1K
This year’s Fair Chance Week marked the first national moment dedicated to driving fair chance hiring across the UK. At its core is Unite 1K, an ambitious campaign led by the Fair Chance Business Alliance to mobilise at least 1,000 employers to embed fair chance practices by adopting the Fair Chance Charter.
Through practical commitments, such as removing blanket exclusion policies, assessing candidates on skills and potential, and providing structured support, Unite 1K aims to translate intent into action at scale.
Crucially for construction, CITB is a Platinum Partner of the Unite 1K campaign, recognising fair chance hiring as a vital lever in addressing long-term skills shortages and building a resilient, future-ready workforce.
A message for SMEs
Construction SMEs, which account for a large proportion of employment and delivery, have a particularly important role to play.
Construction SMEs cannot afford to overlook great talent. Offering fair chances isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential to building future-ready workforces. People who are given a fair chance often bring commitment, resilience and loyalty. That’s great for business, and it’s good for the communities we work in.
For SMEs facing recruitment pressures, fair chance hiring offers a practical, scalable way to widen the talent pipeline while strengthening local social impact.
Making fair chances business as usual
No single initiative will solve construction’s workforce crisis. But widening access to opportunity, alongside skills investment, training and innovation, is essential to meeting future demand.
Fair Chance Week and Unite 1K provide a framework for collective employer action at a moment when the industry needs new solutions. By recognising the business case for inclusion and tapping into an overlooked workforce, construction can take a decisive step towards a more productive, resilient and future-ready sector.
