Future skills needs in the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership Area More Developed Area: York and North Yorkshire Engineering: Construction Civil Engineering Beyond 2030 has produced this Report on behalf of Calderdale College and as part of the College’s delivery of the 2017-18 ESF funded Skills Support for the Workforce programme across the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership Area.
Transcript
Future skills needs in the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership Area
More Developed Area: York and North Yorkshire
Engineering:Construction Civil Engineering
Beyond 2030 has produced this Report on behalf of Calderdale College and as part of the College’s delivery of the 2017-18 ESF funded Skills Support for the Workforce programme across the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership Area.
York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (YNYER LEP) has commissioned a series of research reports, which will allow key decision makers to understand more fully the future skills needs of the YNYER LEPs eight identified priority sectors.
Engineering is extremely significant to the UK economy, contributing £433 billion in 2015, about 26% of total GVA. There are nine key industries in which engineering skills are fundamental. To note is that the built environment, manufacturing and IT and communications sectors have the greatest number of firms using engineering skills.
This report considers the construction civil engineering subsector within the wider engineering sector. Civil engineering is a key specialism within the built environment.
Beyond 2030 spoke with 17 employers in this subsector across the MDA and relevant stakeholders such as Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), EngineeringUK, CITB, North Yorkshire Construction Training Group to inform this report, in addition to drawing on the sources mentioned in the bibliography.
More Developed Area (MDA) of York and North Yorkshire
York and North Yorkshire is divided into eight Local Authorities: Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby and the City of York.
In 2016, it had a resident population of 813,300. Over 411,000 individuals are employed in the area. Employment rates stand at 80.7% for North Yorkshire and 77.5% in York compared to the LEP average of 78.8%.
The largest employment sectors across North Yorkshire and York are health and social work, accommodation and food services, and retail.
Construction civil engineering subsector
Beyond 2030 have defined the subsector using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) of Economic Activity codes 42 civil engineering and 71.12 project management activities related to civil engineering works.
There are 1,325 businesses, employing 9,000 individuals in the construction civil engineering subsector. 76% are involved in the ‘engineering activities and related technical consultancy’.
91% of businesses are micro, employing less than 10 people. Greatest subsector employment is found within the York district. The subsector employs a greater proportion of professional occupations and skilled trades
compared to the all economy. Nationally there are 44,000 civil engineers working in construction. Just 3% work in Yorkshire
and Humber area. Few women work in the subsector and young people are also underrepresented. The longer
learning pipelines for technical roles might be the cause of low levels of young people in the subsector.
Nationally two construction-related engineering roles are on the UK Shortage Occupation List: geotechnical engineer and tunnelling engineer.
A degree in civil engineering is a now a requirement in up to 15% of vacancies. Professional qualifications (EngTech, IEng, and CEng) are available from the Institute of Civil
Engineers which enable individuals to demonstrate knowledge and skills. With the changes in apprenticeships, new standards have been developed in civil
engineering: two have been recently approved and further standards are in development. Employment in the construction civil engineering subsector is expected to increase 14%
between 2014-2024. Including replacement demand, job openings will total 15,000. Looking forwards, the planned national infrastructure and construction pipeline has over
442 projects in Yorkshire and Humber. These projects will all require the skills of engineers and skilled trades.
There are many external factors which seem certain to impact on the subsector in the next few years.
Acknowledgements
Beyond 2030 would like to extend thanks to the employers in the MDA area as well as both local and national stakeholders, including Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), EngineeringUK, CITB, North Yorkshire Construction Training Group who provided their time and assistance in giving us valuable insights into the issues facing the subsector.
Beyond 2030 are indebted to Calderdale College for their guidance and support in completing this report.
The York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (YNYER LEP) has commissioned a series of research reports which inform key decision makers as to the future skills needs of eight identified priority sectors. These sectors are:
• Visitor Economy. • Food Manufacture.• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE). • Health and Social Care. • Construction. • Engineering. • Agri-tech.• Bio Renewables.
As the economic and political situation changes, it is almost universally acknowledged that improved skills, not least because of the link to enhanced productivity is a key way by which to improve economic well-being. Consequently, LEPs across England are looking at how best to support sectors with growth potential and which therefore may generate future wealth and prosperity.
In this research, Beyond 2030 seek to understand fully the future skills needs required to ensure that within the YNYER LEP area, priority sectors can recruit and develop world class employees.
As well as wanting to understand the characteristics and future needs of the eight sectors, the LEP hopes to develop an understanding of the most significant subsectors in each priority area by geography.
1.1 Engineering sector
Engineering cuts across many industries including manufacturing, construction, information and communication, and energy. It plays a vital role in the UK’s economy, providing large-scale employment and physical exports, as well as implementing solutions to many challenges.
Engineers use skills such as science, maths and practical knowledge to design and build machines, systems, processes and structures. Engineers will generally specialise in one area, although many eventually further their knowledge to become a multi skilled engineer.
2018 is the Year of Engineering, which is a national campaign celebrating the world and wonder of engineering (HM Government 2017). Over the course of 2018, the campaign wants to shake-up people’s ideas about engineering, inspiring the next generation of innovators, inventors and problem solvers by showing them what engineers do.
This report considers the construction civil engineering subsector within the More Developed Area (MDA) of York and North Yorkshire.
In this report Beyond 2030 sets out the skills and productivity of the area as a whole and at Local Authority level to provide context, before considering the subsector in further detail.
1.2 York and North Yorkshire MDA
North Yorkshire covers an area of 8,654 square kilometres (3,341 sq. mi), making it the largest county in England. Much of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors lie within North Yorkshire's boundaries, and around 40% of the county is covered by National Parks.
York and North Yorkshire is divided into eight Local Authorities: Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby and the City of York.
In 2016, it has a resident population of 813,300, which equates to 71% of the LEPs resident population (ONS 2017). Over 411,000 individuals are employed in the area. Employment rates stand at 80.7% for North Yorkshire and 77.5% in York compared to LEP average of 78.8% (Table 1).
Using the YNYER LEP as the standard, the differences in the productivity, skills and employment across North Yorkshire and York can be seen. Table 1 highlights where the area performs better (green) or worse (red). Self-employment in North Yorkshire, for example, stands at 13.9% - greater than within York, the LEP as a whole and the English average. However, the proportion of individuals qualified to level 4 or above is lower and the proportion with no qualifications is higher in North Yorkshire.
The largest employment sectors across North Yorkshire and York are health and social work, employing 13% of all workers, accommodation and food services, employing 11% of all workers, and retail which employs 10% of the workforce (ONS 2016).
Table 1 Productivity, skills and jobs:
Measure North Yorkshire
York YNYER LEP
England
Gross Weekly pay full time (£) (place of residence, 2016) £489.10 £509.60 £504.70 £544.70
Job density (the ratio of total jobs to population aged 16-64, 2015) 0.96 0.85 0.86 0.84
Looking in more detail at Local Authority level, variations in the employment rate are obvious. Craven, Harrogate and Scarborough have the highest rates at 83% while Richmondshire has the lowest at 75%. Worth noting is that the employment rate in seven of the Local Authorities is greater than the national average (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Employment rate across the LEP and North Yorkshire Local authorities (Apr 2016-Mar 2017)
Craven
Harrogate
Scarborough
Selby
Hambleton
Ryedale
York
Richmondsh
ire
YNYER LEP
England70%
72%
74%
76%
78%
80%
82%
84% 83% 83% 83%
80%
79% 79%78%
75%
79%
76%
Source (ONS 2017)
Using the YNYER LEP area as the standard, additional variations in the job, skills and productivity levels of each of the local authorities are highlighted in the table below. Where the area performs better, these have been highlighted in green with relatively poor performance being highlighted in red in Table 2. In summary:
Four Local Authorities have a lower weekly wage than the LEP average (Craven, Hambleton, Ryedale and Scarborough).
In three Local Authorities (Craven, Harrogate, and Ryedale) the job density is above one - meaning that there is more than one job for every resident aged 16-64.
Self-employment is particularly high in Harrogate and Scarborough. The proportion of full-time workers is low in Scarborough. The proportion of workers with a level four qualification ranges from 23.4% in Hambleton to
2 Construction civil engineering subsector in North Yorkshire
2.1 Introduction
Civil engineering is a key subsector of the construction sector. Civil engineering deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems, pipelines and railways (ONS 2009).
Civil engineering takes place in the public sector from local authority through to national governments, and in the private sector from individual homeowners through to international companies. Therefore, civil engineers might work in public and private sector organisations including local authorities, central government departments and agencies, engineering consultancy practices, contracting firms and research and development organisations.
Civil Engineers provide technical and management input to develop design solutions for complex civil engineering problems. They will work as part of a team of engineers and other construction professionals through all lifecycle stages of development, design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of civil engineering infrastructure. A Civil Engineer will be required to have a broad skills base to work in areas including sustainable construction, structural integrity, geotechnics (engineering behaviour of earth materials), materials, tunnelling, marine and coastal engineering, water, waste management, flood management, transportation and power.
2.1.1 Subsector definition
For the following report, Beyond 2030 has looked at civil engineering in construction using the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) of Economic Activity. SIC is a standard measure of activity used by government.
SIC Description 42.1 Construction of roads and railways42.2 Construction of utility projects42.9 Construction of other civil engineering projects71.12 Engineering activities and related technical consultancy
2.1.2 Construction civil engineering in York and North Yorkshire
Engineering is recognised as a priority area across the LEP (York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP 2014). Sectors which rely heavily on engineering skills are also considered important in many of the Local Authority plans. (Ryedale District Council 2016, Scarborough Borough 2016, North Yorkshire CC 2017).
Furthermore, Local Authorities recognise the need to ensure that the physical infrastructure, including transport links, are in place to unlock economic growth (Selby District Council 2017, Harrogate Borough Council 2017, Hambleton District Council 2014, Ryedale District Council 2016, Scarborough Borough 2016).
The Dalton Bridge project near Thirsk, for example, is the result of a partnership between businesses on Dalton Industrial Estate, the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, North Yorkshire County Council, Hambleton District Council and the Environment Agency. The work includes not only a new bridge but realignment of the road, ground stabilisation, embankment construction, drainage, culvert installation on Thacker Beck, flood banks and highway drainage and surfacing (York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP 2017). This requires the skills of construction firms and civil engineering roles.
2.2 Construction civil engineering subsector economy and employment
Across York and North Yorkshire there are 1,325 businesses working in construction civil engineering. 76% (1,000) of the businesses in the subsector are involved in the ‘engineering activities and related technical consultancy’. This industry comprises (ONS 2009):
engineering design (i.e. applying physical laws and principles of engineering in the design of machines, materials, instruments, structures, processes and systems) for industrial process and production. It includes the drawing up of preliminary drafts, project development, specification of plans of execution or exact specifications on behalf of the contracting authority for the construction of industrial process and production.
the provision of surveying and mapping services and the like. the provision of architectural engineering services, drafting services, building inspection
services and surveying and mapping services, consulting activities and the like.
19% of the firms are involved in the ‘construction of other civil engineering projects’ (i.e. construction of industrial facilities, and other facilities other than buildings, such as outdoor sports facilities etc.). Just 4% specialised in the construction of roads and railways and 2% in the construction of utility projects.
The majority (91%) businesses employ less than 10 individuals, 7% employ between 10 and 49 individuals. There are no firms employing more than 250.
421 : Construction of roads and railways422 : Construction of utility projects429 : Construction of other civil engineering projects7112 : Engineering activities and related technical consultancy
Source (ONS 2017)
Examples of firms include:
Dobsons Civil Engineering & Construction Ltd http://dobcivils.co.uk/ The HACS Group http://www.hacs.co.uk/ B Jeffrey Construction Ltd http://www.bjeffreyconstruction.co.uk/ PAG Engineers http://www.pag-eng.com/ HC Engineering Ltd http://www.hcengineering.co.uk/ Byland Engineering Ltd http://www.bylandengineering.com/
Employment stands at nearly 9,000 across these civil engineering firms. The subsector accounts for 2% of the MDA workforce (ONS 2017).
65% or 5,750 individuals are employed in engineering activities and related technical consultancy.
22% or 1,950 in the construction of other civil engineering projects. 11% or 950 in the construction of roads and railways. Just 1% of the workforce work in the construction of utility projects.
The greatest subsector employment is found within the York district, accounting for 30% of the workforce. Hambleton and Harrogate both accounting for 16% of the workforce. A further 13% are employed in Selby district.
Figure 3 Distribution of civil engineering businesses and employment in North Yorkshire
Construction civil engineering workplaces includes both engineering jobs but also none engineering roles. For example, for firms to operate effectively roles such as management and administration are also needed. Civil engineering contractors may also employ ground workers and skilled employees enable them to fulfil entire projects. Therefore, when considering the occupational groups of those employed in the subsector in Yorkshire and Humber and UK level, it is evident that individuals are employed across a range of positions, not just engineering positions (Table 3).
The greatest difference in the proportion of employment for the subsector compared to the all economy occurs in professional occupations. This occupational group accounts for a 33% of the workforce compared to 20% in the all economy. Key job roles in this group include:
Design and development engineers. Civil engineers. Chartered surveyors. Construction project managers and related professionals.
The subsector also has a greater proportion of skilled trades occupations, which includes roles such as:
Construction and building trades supervisors. Metal working production and maintenance fitters.
Managers, Directors and Senior Officials 10% 15% 11%Professional Occupations 33% 34% 20%Associate Professional and Technical Occupations
16% 16% 14%
Administrative and Secretarial Occupations
6% 5% 10%
Skilled Trades Occupations 21% 15% 11%Personal care services 1% <1% 9%Sales and Customer Service Occupations 7% 1% 8%Process, Plant and Machine Operatives 6% 7% 6%Elementary Occupations 10% 6% 10%
Source (Office for National Statistics; Social Survey Division; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2017)
The job roles which have the greatest number employed in the construction civil engineering subsector across Yorkshire and Humber are shown below. This in contrast to national data, where civil engineer is the top job, employing over 44,000. Just 3% of civil engineers in this subsector are employed in Yorkshire and Humber.
Table 4 Top five jobs roles in construction civil engineering subsector, Yorkshire and Humber
Occupation Number employed 5330 'Construction and building trades supervisors' 4,0002123 'Electrical engineers' 3,3009120 'Elementary construction occupations' 3,2001122 'Production managers and directors in construction' 2,5002126 'Design and development engineers' 2,000
Source (Office for National Statistics; Social Survey Division; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2017) * not elsewhere classified
2.2.1.1 Workforce characteristicsThe subsector has few women working in it, with just 21% of the Yorkshire and Humber civil engineering workforce being female. There are variations across the industries, with engineering activities and related technical consultancy more likely to employ females. 29% of the workforce in this industry are female, while in the construction of roads and railways, just 15% of the workforce are female.
Young people are underrepresented in civil engineering compared to the whole economy. Only 5% are aged under 25. This compares to 13% in the whole economy of Yorkshire and Humber. However, the age groups 25 to 34 and 45 to 54 have a much greater proportion of workers compared to the all economy (Figure 4).
Where the roles are more technical, the longer learning pipelines involved in the acquisition of the detailed skills might be one cause of low levels of young people in the subsector.
With an ageing workforce and a small proportion of young people entering the subsector, there are set to be significant challenges in future recruitment.
Figure 4 Age profile of the construction civil engineering subsector, Yorkshire and Humber
Under 25 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65+0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Civil engineering All economy
Source (Office for National Statistics; Social Survey Division; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2017)
2.3 Skills needs – Primary research testing the data
2.3.1 Recruitment and retention
Firms responding to our primary research were not actively recruiting for civil engineering positions However, secondary research did find that there were a range of engineering positions being advertised. For example:
North Yorkshire County Council have several positions available including:o Project Engineer (Highways).o Senior transport and development engineer. o Transport and development engineer.o Traffic management and road safety engineer.o Graduate engineer.o Graduate bursary placement – engineering.
Firms are also using recruitment agency to promote roles in the area and these are frequently advertised on online job boards. For example
Firms Beyond 2030 spoke with, reported a requirement for staff in roles other than civil engineers. For example, good quality and skilled plant machine operatives were also required to complete projects.
Several engineering occupations do appear in the United Kingdom Shortage Occupation List (Home Office 2018). Specifically, in the construction-related ground engineering industry, geotechnical engineer and tunnelling engineer appears on the list. However, no firm Beyond 2030 spoke to had any of these difficulties.
2.3.2 What are the current skills needs and skills gaps?
2.3.2.1 Skills levels Half (51%) of the subsector workforce in Yorkshire and Humber hold a level 4 or above compared to 38% in the whole economy. 22% of the subsector do not hold a level 2 qualification.
Figure 5 Qualifications levels of construction civil engineering subsector
NQ
F Le
vel 4
a...
NQ
F Le
vel 3
Trad
e ap
pren
ti...
NQ
F Le
vel 2
Belo
w N
QF
Lev.
..
Oth
er q
ualifi
ca...
No
qual
ifica
tions
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%
Civil engineering in Y&H Civil engineering UK All economy Y&H
Source (Office for National Statistics; Social Survey Division; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2017)
A degree in civil engineering is a now a requirement in up to 15% of vacancies (which is up from 9% in 2012). As a job title this is now the third most demanded role, accounting for more than one in six vacancies (EngineeringUK 2017).
Conrad Consulting is a specialist recruitment company responsible for supplying high quality employees at all levels to technical organisations on both a permanent and contract basis. Across North Yorkshire they were advertising positions such as:
2.3.2.2 Skills needs / required From our primary work Beyond 2030 suggests that the following occupations and skills are particularly needed and valued by employers:
Technical skills (in many cases as a degree level qualification). o Civil engineer. o Civil engineering site management.o Civil engineering technician.o Construction / civil engineer ground worker.
Project delivery / management. Design / AutoCAD. Analysis / data gathering tools and tests to solve technical problems. Team working. Plant machine operatives. Health and safety training is a necessity for many roles working in the subsector.
2.3.3 Training
As a high compliance sector, employers/contractors are obliged to ensure that their staff hold/undertake the relevant training and development which ensures the safety of construction sites. These are often around core areas including health and safety and those that ensure compliance with legislation (i.e. site operators licence).
Our primary research found similar findings in this area. Nearly all firms reported providing training, with the key area of training for employers in the subsector being health and safety.
Cost and time were the main drag factors on engaging non- mandatory training. In a robustly regulated sector, non-mandatory training is often seen in second place in terms of employer imperative.
2.3.3.1 Professional standardsOne way to demonstrate that an individual has civil engineering knowledge and skills is to become professionally qualified with the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE 2018). Their qualifications are recognised internationally.
For most members, there are three stages to becoming qualified (ICE 2018). This is based on:
Academic qualifications. Work experience (also called initial professional development). Passing their Professional Review.
Initial professional development (IPD) is where individuals develop the special skills, knowledge and experience that help you to become professionally qualified.
Individuals IPD is measured against a set of 'attributes', which you can achieve in three stages:
Knowledge – a basic understanding and knowledge of the attribute and how you achieve it. Experience – achieving the attribute in different situations, working under supervision. Ability – achieving the attribute in different situations, assisting others and working
unsupervised.
There are three key ways to complete your IPD:
Page 17 of 26
Technician engineer (EngTech)
If you have an approved level 3 diploma or an HND or foundation degree or above you already have the qualifications you need for EngTech. Achieving the EngTech qualification shows your competence as a technician engineer and your commitment to professional standards.
Incorporated engineer (IEng)
If you have an accredited bachelor's degree, you already have the qualifications you need for IEng.
If you have a foundation degree, HNC or HND, you can work towards becoming an incorporated engineer (IEng). You can either follow the technical report route or you'll need to do a period of further learning to bring your qualifications up to the level of education required for IEng. The IEng title is protected by law and becoming IEng-qualified shows your current and future employers, clients and peers that you're a competent engineer. It also highlights that you are committed to professional standards.
Chartered engineer (CEng)
Chartered engineers need to be highly qualified in their fields. The title CEng is protected by law, as is the title chartered civil engineer, and is one of the most recognisable international engineering qualifications. This means that the educational requirements are demanding.
If you have one of the following, you already have the qualifications you need for CEng:
An accredited four-year integrated MEng degree. A bachelor degree which is accredited as CEng with further learning, plus an
ICE Training Scheme – this is a structured training programme run by your employer. You will receive support and guidance throughout your training from a supervising civil engineer (SCE), who your employer assigns to you. It is recommended that you use this scheme to complete your IPD.
Mentor-supported Training – this is similar to the ICE Training Scheme but is not run by your employer. You are responsible for managing your own training with the support of a mentor, who'll need to be approved by ICE.
Career Appraisal – you do this if you've already got enough experience to complete your IPD.
Professional review
A Professional Review is the final stage in becoming professionally qualified. This is where you prove that you’ve developed all the right skills to become professionally qualified.
The Professional Review itself is made up of three steps (ICE 2018):
Initial application – this gives ICE the information needed to arrange your Professional Review.
Submission – you will need to produce and submit a report of up to 5,000 words showing how you meet all the requirements to become an incorporated or chartered engineer and also your CPD records.
Professional Review – you will then be interviewed by experienced civil engineering professionals. Be prepared to discuss your report and show off your knowledge. You will also have to complete a written exercise which is an assessment of your written skills.
2.3.3.2 Certification Identification of the appropriate training can also be easily recognised by the individuals holding special certification cards. For example, the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is the leading skills certification scheme within the UK construction industry (CSCS 2017).
The CSCS cards provide proof that individuals working on a construction site have the required training and qualifications for the type of work they carry out. Individuals need to apply for the correct card according to their occupation and have passed the relevant CITB Health, safety and environment test.
The CSCS card is not a legislative requirement. It is up to the principal contractor or client whether workers are required to hold a card before they are allowed on site. However, most principal contractors and major house builders require construction workers on their sites to hold a valid CSCS card.
Civil engineering Apprenticeships are classified under the sector subject area of, ‘construction, planning and the built environment’.
Specific data is unavailable at local level, but national starts on a civil engineering for technicians’ apprenticeship are shown below.
Table 5 Apprenticeship Programme Starts by Sector Framework/Pathway: Civil Engineering for Technicians
Age 2013/2014 2014/2015Under 19
100 190
19 to 24 90 11025+ - 10Total 190 310
Source (DfE, SFA and E&SFA 2017)
With the changes in Apprenticeships, new standards have been developed, two having been recently approved and further standards are in development.
Table 6 Apprenticeship standards
Name LevelApproved for Delivery Date
Maximum funding
Civil Engineer (Degree) 6 4 October 2017 £27,000Civil Engineering Technician 3 4 October 2017 £12,000Civil Engineering Site Management (Degree) 6 In development Construction and Civil Engineering Ground Worker 2 In development
Source (Institute for Apprenticeships 2017)
In our primary work Beyond 2030 found general support for the principle of Apprenticeship, with a number of firms reporting that it would be something they would like to get more involved in or have considered previously.
Some firms report taking advantage of government funding to employ an apprentice, but also recognise that it provides young individuals with a career opportunity.
However, with the majority (83%) businesses employing less than 10 individuals, micro firms report challenges relating to a lack of time, cost and finding interested candidates.
Future workforce projections for the subsector1 are available at the wider region of Yorkshire and Humber rather than the North Yorkshire area but this still provides a useful indication of changes in the workforce moving forward.
Employment in the Yorkshire and Humber construction civil engineering subsector is expected to increase by 14.0% between 2014 and 2024 – or by 4,000. This contrasts to the region’s all sector economy where growth of 3.9% is anticipated (UKCES 2016).
Employment will increase across all occupational groups but particularly for skilled trades and higher skilled roles (i.e. managers, professional and technical roles) (Figure 6).
Administrative, Clerical and Secretarial Occupations
Associate Professional and Technical Occupations
Professional Occupations
Managers and Senior Officials
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Source: UKCES Working Futures VI
2.5.2 Replacement need and total demand
Overall, the subsector in Yorkshire and Humber is expected to have approximately 15,000 job openings between 2014 and 2024, but to note is that 11,000 will be replacement demand.
49% of all job openings will be within skilled trades occupations and a further 12% in managerial roles (Figure 7). Professional occupations will account for a further one in ten job openings.
The change in qualification levels of the workforce shows that there will be a shift towards more people holding higher qualifications (Table 7).
By 2024, 29% of people employed in the construction civil engineering subsector are expected to be qualified at level 4 and above (less than Yorkshire and Humber region all sector proportion of 47%), whilst the proportion of people with no formal qualifications or level 1 is expected to fall to 17%.
Table 7 Change in qualification profile of construction civil engineering subsector, Yorkshire and Humber
No qualifications and level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 – 6 Level 7 – 8
Qualification example
GSCE (grades D – G)BTEC level 1
GCSE (grades A* - C) NVQ Level 2
AS & A level BTEC National
Certificate of higher education (L4)Foundation degree (L5)Bachelor’s degree (L6)
The above Working Future projections demonstrate that there will be increase in employment across the subsector. This workforce will become more highly skilled and with fewer low skilled roles.
Looking forwards, the planned national infrastructure and construction pipeline has over 442 projects in Yorkshire and Humber (HM Treasury and IPA 2016). In North Yorkshire and York projects include:
A1 Leeming to Barton, in which the road will be upgraded to three lane motorway standard. This is due for completion 2017/18.
Waste Management Project: A PPP project is being developed by North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council alongside sponsors AmeyCespa for the construction of and Energy from Waste (EfW) facility.
Highway maintenance block funding: funding allocated to individual unitary authorities for highways.
This will have obvious implications for the local subsector. These projects will all require the skills of engineers and skilled trades, but with a national shortage of engineers, there is concern about the ability to attract skilled workers in the future.
2.6 Drivers of change
2.6.1 Political
Leaving the European Union
Plans to leave the EU, following the UK European Union membership referendum in June 2016, has left the engineering sector facing an uncertain future.
The effect on inward migration particularly from EU countries could affect the sector’s ability to recruit and retain skilled staff and is by far the biggest issue employers have raised with us.
When the future regarding leaving the EU is clearer, companies will feel in a better position to make investment decisions.
Government Policy
2018 is the year of engineering (DoE, et al. 2018). Ministers from across government are joining forces with engineers, industry experts and hundreds of businesses to change perceptions around engineering – and highlight the scale of opportunity that careers in the industry hold for young people in the UK.
The NIC aims to be the UK’s most credible, forward-thinking and influential voice on infrastructure policy and strategy (NIC 2018). They have outlined three broad challenges that must be tackled to ensure the UK has the high performing infrastructure networks required to drive economic growth and help improve quality of life:
Make better use of existing infrastructure to reduce the growing levels of congestion that we are seeing in the UK’s urban centres.
Identify where new infrastructure services and systems are required to deliver additional capacity.
Reduce CO₂ emissions in energy generation and the high levels that are produced in other core sectors like transport.
However, the resignation of Lord Adonis as Infrastructure tsar in December 2017 (Lord Adonis 2017) has highlighted concerns that maybe the NIC will not be an influential voice anticipated. Lord Adonis reports that his work “at the Commission has become increasingly clouded by disagreement with the Government.” The bailout of the Stagecoach/Virgin East Coast rail franchise set was one area of disagreement along with Brexit.
Legislation / Regulations
Regulation and Governance issues are particularly significant for the subsector. Building Information Modelling (BIM) level 2, for example, has been mandated since April 2016 throughout the public sector.
Employers are not expecting there to be significant new legislation in the next few years, rather they are anticipating many current standards to move from EU legislation into UK law.
2.6.2 Economic
Rising Costs
The whole subsector is affected by rising operating costs, for example raw products and materials are almost universally rising in price. Consequently, resource management and budgetary controls are important and will become more important in future years.
Labour availability
Where the roles are more technical, the longer learning pipelines, involved in the acquisition of the detailed skills might be one cause of low levels of young people in some of the industries.
Demographic changes mean that there are fewer younger people entering the job market, which has an adverse effect. Employers need to find ways to attract and then retain staff. Recruitment and retention are two important issues.
There is widespread misunderstanding of engineering among young people and their parents. But encouragingly young people’s perception in engineering has become more positive in the last 5 years. The proportion of 11-16-year olds who would consider a career in engineering has risen from 40% in 2012 to 51% in 2016 (EngineeringUK 2017). However, too few young people are deciding to continue to study STEM subjects that keep the doors open to engineering careers limiting the number who ultimately will be able to enter highly-skilled engineering careers.
Effective careers education and interventions during school are vital to develop more informed careers thinking. The engineering sector is taking strides in increasing awareness of STEM subjects and campaigns such as the ‘Year of Engineering’ will help.
2.6.4 Technological
Urbanisation and rapid population growth continue to put pressure on infrastructure management, alongside a growing demand for more efficient, reliable and safe services. The cost of constructing and adding more infrastructure to a nation’s asset base is substantial and drives a focus on the use of new and innovative technologies to contribute to a more productive management of existing infrastructure.
Recent developments such as the internet of things (IoT), big data analytics and connectivity have the potential to deliver significant improvements across the whole asset management life cycle (NIC 2017). The use of information and technology to digitalise infrastructure across the (1) plan, design, build, (2) maintain, operate, (3) service provision, and (4) strategic financial investment planning phases of the life cycle will allow to achieve impacts such as (NIC 2017):
Optimising resources through better information on the resource use cycle. Using information to better manage utilities. Enabling consumers to make more informed use of resources and lower their consumption,
thereby reducing utility operating costs and extending operating life of existing infrastructure.
Providing opportunities for new services to citizens through smart technologies.
To achieve the above, a standard to capture data and analyse information from multiple sectors in a consistent and interoperable format is currently being developed by Innovate UK and Digital Built Britain as an extension to the existing Building Information Modelling (BIM) standards mandated for use in construction programs funded by the Central Government. Technology is crucial to the capture of this information.
Craven District. 2010. Economic Development Strategy for Craven District 2010 - 2016. Craven: Craven District.
CSCS. 2017. About CSCS. Accessed November 2017. https://www.cscs.uk.com/about/.
DfE, SFA, and E&SFA. 2017. “FE data library: apprenticeships.” March. Accessed May 2017. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships.
DoE, DfT, C Grayling, and A Milton. 2018. Engineering in the spotlight for 2018 as government launches campaign to inspire the next generation. 15 Janaury. Accessed January 19, 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/engineering-in-the-spotlight-for-2018-as-government-launches-campaign-to-inspire-the-next-generation.
EngineeringUK. 2017. Engineering UK 2017. The State of engineering. EngineeringUK. https://www.engineeringuk.com/media/1350/EngineeringUK-Report-2017-Annex.pdf.
Hambleton District Council. 2014. Economic Strategy 2014 -2024. Northallerton: Hambleton District Council.
Harrogate Borough Council. 2017. Economic Growth Strategy for Harrogate District 2017 - 2035. Harrogate: Harrogate Borough Council.
Home Office. 2018. Immigration Rules Appendix K: shortage occupation list. 15 January. Accessed January 2018. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-k-shortage-occupation-list.
ICE. 2018. How to become a professionally qualified civil engineer. Accessed January 2018. https://www.ice.org.uk/careers-and-training/graduate-civil-engineers/how-to-become-professionally-qualified.
Institute for Apprenticeships. 2017. Apprenticeship standards. Accessed September 2017. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apprenticeship-standards#contents.
Lord Adonis. 2017. Lord Adonis quits government role in stinging letter. December. Accessed February 2018. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42515637.
NIC. 2018. National Infrastructure Commission: What we do. Accessed January 2018. https://www.nic.org.uk/what-we-do/.
NIC. 2017. Study on international best practices in using technology to improve productivity. London: National Infrastructure Commission.
North Yorkshire CC. 2017. A plan to deliver economic growth 2017. North Yorkshire County Council. https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/fileroot/About%20the%20council/Strategies,%20plans%20and%20policies/A%20Plan%20for%20Economic%20Growth%202017.pdf.
Office for National Statistics; Social Survey Division; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. . 2017. Quarterly Labour Force Survey, April - June, 2017. UK Data Service. SN: 8235. doi:http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8235-1.
ONS. 2016. Business Register and Employment Survey : open access. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/submit.asp?forward=yes&menuopt=201&subcomp=: Nomis.
—. 2017. “Business Register and Employment Survey : open access 2016.” Accessed November 2017. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?menuopt=200&subcomp=.
—. 2017. Nomis Labour Market Profile - York, North Yorkshire And East Riding. Accessed September 2017. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/lep/1925185568/report.aspx.
—. 2017. “UK Business Counts - local units by industry and employment size band 2017.” Accessed November 2017. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?menuopt=200&subcomp=.
ONS. 2009. UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities 2007 (SIC 2007): Structure and explanatory notes. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ryedale District Council. 2016. Ryedale Economic Action Plan 2016-2020. Ryedale District Council.
Scarborough Borough Council. 2017. Towards 2030 - an era of opportunity - an employment and skills plan for Scarborough Borough. Scarborough Borough Council. https://democracy.scarborough.gov.uk/documents/s78563/Towards2030AnEraofOpportunityEmploymentandSkillsPlanforScarboroughBorough.pdf.
Scarborough Borough. 2016. Towards 2030: An Era of Opportunity. An Employment & Skills Plan for Scarborough Borough. Scarborough Borough.
Tovey, A. 2017. Apprenticeship levy behind 60pc collapse in number of people starting training courses. Accessed November 2017. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/11/23/apprenticeship-levy-behind-60pc-collapse-number-people-starting/.
UKCES. 2016. Working Futures: 2014 to 2022. London: UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP. 2017. Replacing Bridge to Unlock Economic Growth. Accessed March 2018. https://www.businessinspiredgrowth.com/news/replacing-flood-blighted-bridge-will-unlock-economic-growth/.
York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP. 2014. Strategic Economic Plan. York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership.
