The UK Government’s latest White Paper on Immigration, released this spring, has reignited a critical conversation in the construction industry: how we balance the urgent need for skilled labour with the longer-term imperative to invest in domestic talent.
What’s in the White Paper?
The paper outlines a revised approach to managing migration post-Brexit, with a focus on reducing overall immigration levels while prioritising high-skilled entrants. A key feature is the increase in the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas — now set at £38,700 for most roles (up from £26,200), with some allowances for shortages in critical sectors.
While construction is recognised as a sector experiencing labour pressures, the changes have sparked concern across the industry. Many vital construction roles — including general labourers, dryliners, and even bricklayers — fall below the new pay threshold or are not considered high-skill enough under the new criteria.
The Industry Impact
The immediate reality is stark. The UK construction sector is already battling a significant skills gap. According to the Construction Skills Network, an additional 250,000 workers will be needed by 2028 just to meet existing demand. Post-Brexit immigration restrictions have already reduced the available labour pool, particularly in London and the South East, where EU nationals once made up a large proportion of the workforce.
Tighter immigration rules, when coupled with an ageing workforce and a slowdown in apprenticeship starts, risk exacerbating project delays, raising costs, and weakening our capacity to deliver housing and infrastructure targets.
The Government’s promise of an “exceptional talent route” and targeted Shortage Occupation Lists are welcome — but these measures remain too narrow and bureaucratic to deliver the boots on the ground that are urgently needed now.
Short-Term Solutions: Let Foreign Nationals Work
To keep sites open and projects moving, we need pragmatic flexibility. That means streamlining visa processes, expanding the Shortage Occupation List to reflect real-world demand, and reducing the administrative and financial burden on employers who are trying to fill legitimate vacancies with skilled foreign workers.
We can’t afford a system that penalises contractors for hiring overseas staff while the domestic pipeline remains underdeveloped.
Long-Term Strategy: Grow Our Own
But the bigger truth is this: the current immigration squeeze is a symptom of a deeper issue. For too long, the UK construction industry has relied on overseas labour to fill skills gaps created by inconsistent training investment and a poor pipeline into the trades.
Now is the time to fix that.
We must redouble our efforts to attract, train, and retain homegrown talent. That means:
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Supporting specialist training centres like the National Masonry Academy and other CITB-approved institutions to deliver modern, hands-on skills development.
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Improving the image of construction among young people, parents, and teachers, showcasing clear career paths and long-term prospects.
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Working with government to ensure that education, planning, and industrial policy align around a common goal: rebuilding the UK’s skills base from the ground up.
Conclusion: Two Tracks, One Goal
The new immigration framework sends a clear message: we must build our own workforce. And on that point, the industry agrees. But the Government must also accept a simple fact — you can’t plug a dam with policy alone.
While we ramp up investment in domestic skills, we still need access to overseas talent to meet immediate demand. Construction isn’t just about bricks and mortar — it’s about people. And right now, we need both foreign nationals and a national training effort to ensure we can build the homes, schools, and infrastructure the UK desperately needs.
Let’s get the balance right.
