Public procurement has an opportunity to do more than secure the skills needed for the next contract. By creating greater certainty around future projects and embedding meaningful workforce development into purchasing decisions, public bodies can help suppliers invest in the people required to deliver the UK’s housing, infrastructure and retrofit ambitions.

Writing for PBC Today, Graham Collie, director of product innovation at LHC Procurement Group, argues that procurement should help build future workforce capacity rather than simply compete for workers already available. The scale of the challenge is reflected in Skills England’s 2026 Annual Skills Report, which projects that construction will need around 758,000 additional workers across the sector by 2035. That demand makes workforce development an important consideration in the planning and delivery of public projects.

A key opportunity lies in giving suppliers better visibility of the work ahead. When construction, housing and retrofit programmes are planned over longer periods, contractors have a stronger basis for investing in apprenticeships, recruitment and training. More coordinated procurement pipelines can also help colleges and training providers align courses with emerging demand, giving employers greater confidence that investment in skills will translate into future opportunities. For contracting authorities, that can support a more capable supply market and improve readiness for complex programmes.

The case is particularly clear in retrofit, where delivery depends on a range of specialist skills and consistent investment over time. The National Retrofit Hub’s A Vision for a Strong Retrofit System report highlights how short-term funding cycles and fragmented programmes can make it difficult for organisations to retain skilled teams and build lasting capacity. Procurement that supports a more predictable pipeline can help address this challenge by connecting investment plans with the workforce and partnerships needed to deliver them.

Contract design matters just as much as project visibility. Public buyers can include proportionate employment, apprenticeship and training expectations, while working with colleges, community organisations and local businesses to widen access to opportunities. Smaller suppliers are especially important to this approach. Requirements that are unnecessarily complex or contracts packaged at a scale that excludes SMEs can restrict competition and limit the reach of local supply chains. Accessible procurement, by contrast, can help more businesses contribute to delivery while building skills within the communities where projects take place.

The strongest results will come when social value commitments are connected to commercial reality. Counting training hours or apprenticeship starts can help measure activity, but procurement teams should also consider whether opportunities lead to recognised skills, sustained employment and progression. Early engagement with suppliers and training providers can help ensure requirements are realistic, relevant to the work and capable of delivering lasting value rather than becoming a compliance exercise.

The sector takeaway is clear: procurement can be part of the solution to the construction skills challenge when it is designed to strengthen the market over time. Better visibility of future demand, proportionate contract requirements and genuine opportunities for SMEs can help suppliers invest in people with greater confidence. By linking today’s purchasing decisions to tomorrow’s workforce needs, public bodies can support more resilient supply chains and improve their capacity to deliver the infrastructure, housing and retrofit programmes communities depend on.