Skills Shortage in the Trades
Updated on
It’s no secret that the UK is suffering with a skills trade shortage. Estimates from respected bodies suggest that we need more than a million new tradespeople to enter the industry by 2032, but new recruits into trades continue to drop. Careers within the skilled trades offer a variety of opportunities and benefits for the person choosing it as their vocation - and yet it still appears to be lower on the list of job aspirations for school leavers.
In 2025, we conducted another study on the subject. It seems that there is emerging hope for people seeing skilled trades as a desirable career choice — especially with the rise of AI affecting many other sectors.
Please see the 2025 study for the full results and insight from this consumer survey.
In 2024, MyBuilder.com conducted its first study into the subject of why entry into the trades was dropping, with some interesting results.
The government has been slow to act and support people with apprenticeships. Likewise, those in education are not doing enough to promote careers in the skilled trades.
Please see the 2024 study for the full results and insight from this consumer survey.
What do our tradespeople think of the issue? We’ve spoken to a number of our tradespeople and asked them how they found their way into their role, plus asked their opinions on the skill shortage facing the industry.
Each tradesperson has their own unique story of how they found their way into the industry, and the vast majority love the freedom it gives them.
Select one of the case studies below to reach the full interview.
