CIBSE welcomes the publication of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy as important frameworks for long-term economic growth, workforce development and net zero delivery. We are particularly encouraged by the recognition of engineering, clean energy, digital and construction skills as essential to the UK’s future prosperity.
The focus on aligning the UK’s skills system with strategic economic priorities and investing in technical education, particularly in engineering and digital sectors, is timely and necessary. The commitment to supporting over 65,000 additional young people annually and targeted investment in FE, HE and apprenticeships, including over £100 million for engineering skills, will help to address some of the critical capacity and capability gaps in our sector.
We are also pleased to see dedicated strategies emerging for key areas such as clean energy, digital technologies, and professional services. The cross-sector emphasis on workforce development, diversity, lifelong learning, and employer investment in training aligns closely with CIBSE’s mission to support built environment professionals through guidance, standards and ongoing professional development.
The new Infrastructure Strategy will have significant implications for building performance, resilience and operational excellence. With £725 billion of infrastructure investment planned, the resulting increase in demand for skilled engineers and technical professionals makes the accompanying commitments to education capital, training provision and workforce planning even more essential.
As the professional body supporting over 24,000 building services engineers in the UK and internationally, CIBSE stands ready to work with Government and industry to ensure these strategies result in meaningful, sustainable outcomes, particularly in improving the performance, safety and environmental impact of buildings and infrastructure.