According to new data from the University College of Estate Management, professionals in the built environment say they desperately need candidates with green skills
UCEM commissioned the research to highlight gaps in green skills.
A total of 77% of those in the built environment say that their organisation would lose its competitive edge without sustainability skills, and 88% of respondents said that sustainability skills are relevant to every role in the sector.
However, 88% said that there is an acute shortage of skills, and 73% reported that recruiting people with the right sustainability skills is a challenge.
The survey also found that the demand for those skills will only increase, with 75% of respondents expecting that the need to recruit people with sustainability skills will rise in the coming years.
Sustainability is a pressing concern for the built environment
Stephen Bartle, pro vice-chancellor at UCEM, said: “The UK has the oldest housing stock in Europe which creates significant problems around sustainability and energy conservation.
“Built environment professionals are facing looming environmental legislation, yet there is still a shortage of the skills required to meet legal requirements.
“This is a wake-up call for the sector to invest in training that meets financial, legal, and ethical obligations, yet it also highlights the economic opportunity that sustainability presents to both employers and jobseekers.”
The skills deficit has created competition between employers
The survey found that 76% of respondents were fighting for skilled sustainability talent, and 87% of respondents said that upskilling employees would be essential to address the green skills shortage in the industry.
Other findings reveal that 93% of respondents believe their workforce would benefit from additional sustainability-skills training and development.
Furthermore, 91% identified optimising energy use and reducing carbon emissions as the most highly sought-after skill, followed by optimising buildings for health and wellbeing (89%) and actively contributing to improving the sector’s sustainability performance (89%).
Additionally, 83% of respondents agreed that sustainability solutions are a core focus of their industry.
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