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Young people taking up construction careers as under-25 CSCS cards rise
Nicky Roger Associate editor
The number of CSCS cards issued to young people has risen. Image: Dreamstime
The number of CSCS-logoed cards issued to workers under the age of 25 has risen by almost 9% in the past two years, despite an overall decline in card issuance across the construction workforce.
New data published by the CSCS Alliance shows 94,444 cards were issued to under-25s in 2025, up 8.8% from 86,798 in 2023. Young workers now account for 19% of all cards issued, compared with 17.2% two years ago, while total card issuance fell by 1.3% over the same period.
The figures suggest more young people are entering construction through skilled routes. Skilled and Advanced Skilled cards increased by 7.8%, with almost one in six under-25 cardholders now holding one of these cards. Growth in skilled occupations (9.6%) also outpaced labouring roles (8.3%).
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Plant operatives recorded the largest increase in under-25 card issuance of any major occupation group, rising by 24.7% between 2023 and 2025. Electrotechnical occupations grew by 15.6%, while temporary traffic management increased by 13.2%.
Electrotechnical occupations remain the largest occupational group by volume for under-25 cardholders, followed by utilities and construction and civil engineering trades, including carpentry, joinery and bricklaying. Plumbing and HVAC had the highest proportion of young workers, with almost one in four cards (22.9%) issued to people under 25.
The data also highlights regional concentrations of young entrants. Birmingham had the highest number of skilled or training cards held by under-25s, with 6,611, followed by Glasgow (4,110), Sheffield (3,763), Newcastle (3,121) and Manchester (2,869).
Encouraging figures amid unemployment trend
The publication comes amid growing concern over both youth employment and construction’s future workforce needs. Alan Milburn’s recent review of youth employment estimated that more than one million 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training (NEET), while the National Audit Office last week warned that the sector could require up to 755,000 additional workers by 2030 to meet government housebuilding, infrastructure and retrofit ambitions.
Sean Kearns, chief executive of the CSCS Group, said the figures were encouraging, but warned the industry needed to ensure young entrants remained in the sector.
“More young people are choosing careers in construction than in recent years, across a broad range of occupations, and an increasing proportion are entering the sector with skilled and advanced qualifications,” he said.
“However, momentum alone is not enough. We must ensure that young entrants are supported from day one to develop the skills, competence and experience that will sustain long-term careers in construction and the built environment.”
Marion Marsland, chair of the CSCS Alliance, added that the figures demonstrated construction’s potential to help tackle youth unemployment by providing skilled career opportunities across a wide range of trades.
