The third annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) report, published by ConstructionSkills, reveals that construction employment in Scotland is set to grow by 7.5% between 2008 and 2012.

This will equate to around 6,320 new recruits joining the industry each year.

Wood trades and interior fit-out specialists such as carpenters and joiners will be in greatest demand – 1,360 new recruits will be needed each year to meet demand – closely followed by professional and technical staff such as civil and mechanical engineers, with an annual requirement of 750 new workers.

The CSN forecasting model is coordinated by ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry. The latest report, focusing on construction activity between 2008 and 2012, shows that despite the cancellation of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, infrastructure is the sector that will experience the most significant growth over the period, averaging over 4% per year. This mirrors the trend being seen across the UK and in Scotland, this growth has been sustained by the Scottish Executive's £3bn Transport Investment Programme, which includes the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project.


The Scottish construction industry is also set to benefit from large-scale regeneration programmes planned to start during the forecast period. The largest of these is the £1bn plan for Ravenscraig, the first new town to be developed in Scotland in over 50 years.

Graeme Ogilvy, ConstructionSkills’ Director for Scotland said: "The Construction Skills Network report provides the construction industry with an authoritative basis for planning recruitment strategies, education and training mechanisms and funding delivery. There is no shortage of applicants to the industry, with applications to construction and built environment courses and apprenticeships continuing to rise. One of our biggest challenges is to ensure new entrants and existing workers have access to the training that will deliver the right skills required for projects across all sectors.

"In order to meet growing demand, and increase business performance, ConstructionSkills is committed to working with the whole industry to provide progressive and responsive education and training across Scotland."

(CD)