Published Wednesday 5 August 2026 · By the JustEng team
A busy start to August across the UK built environment: a fresh workforce forecast that puts hard numbers on the skills gap, a record set of contractor results, a new funding window for lower-rise cladding remediation, another round of contractor failures, and a growing pipeline of consented solar. Below is what happened, and what each story means for engineering recruitment and hiring across the UK.
CITB puts the shortfall at 206,000 workers — and quantity surveying jobs are among the hardest to fill
The Construction Industry Training Board’s Construction Workforce Outlook 2026–2030 concludes the industry needs around 206,000 additional workers by 2030, roughly 41,200 a year, equivalent to about 1.6 per cent of the 2025 workforce. The report points to an ageing workforce and a training pipeline that is not replacing leavers quickly enough, with electricians, carpenters, bricklayers, scaffolders and roofers among the hardest-hit trades and 93 per cent of employers reporting difficulty recruiting qualified quantity surveyors and commercial managers. Read the coverage on Building.
Hiring angle: A shortfall of this size means competition for experienced people will keep intensifying, and employers who rely solely on job-board advertising will lose out to those willing to headhunt. Firms filling civil engineering vacancies and commercial roles should expect longer time-to-hire and should benchmark offers before going to market — our current engineering jobs give a live read on what the market is paying.
Morgan Sindall posts record half year as fit out carries the group
Morgan Sindall reported adjusted profit before tax up 21 per cent to £116.1m on revenue up 8 per cent to £2,562m for the first half of 2026. Fit Out was the standout, with revenue of £996m and operating profit of £69.1m, and the group lifted its medium-term Fit Out operating profit target to £100m–£130m while raising its Construction margin target to 3.5–4.0 per cent. Net cash stood at £418m. Full results summary on The Construction Index.
Hiring angle: Raised medium-term targets usually translate into headcount, particularly in project management, commercial and design delivery. Candidate demand tends to follow the strongest divisions, so we expect more structural engineer jobs and fit-out-adjacent technical roles to come to market through the autumn.
Cladding Safety Scheme opens to buildings under 11 metres from 17 August
The government has extended the Cladding Safety Scheme to eligible multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in England, with applications opening on 17 August 2026 and closing on 9 October 2026 after an eight-week window. Funding is tied to a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls completed to PAS 9980:2022 by a suitably qualified professional, and will be prioritised by life-critical fire risk. Scheme details on GOV.UK.
Hiring angle: An eight-week application window backed by a PAS 9980 assessment requirement creates a sharp, short-notice spike in demand for competent fire engineers and external wall assessors. Practices anticipating that surge should be talking to us now about fire engineer vacancies and façade engineer jobs, because this talent pool is small and moves quickly.
Contractor failures continue as insolvency figures stay above pre-pandemic levels
Curo Construction Ltd, established in 2013, told staff at the start of August that it had ceased trading. It follows a Northamptonshire civil engineering contractor that entered administration on 1 June owing creditors almost £3.6m with 81 employees at the point of collapse. Across the sector, 3,803 construction firms became insolvent in the 12 months to May 2026 — down 6 per cent year on year, but still 18 per cent above 2019 — the highest count of any industry sector. Latest insolvency figures from BCIS.
Hiring angle: Each failure releases experienced engineers and commercial staff into the market at short notice, and firms with live requirements can move quickly if they have a specialist recruitment agency tracking availability. If your role has been open for months, this is the moment to revisit it.
Consented solar pipeline grows, lifting civil engineering vacancies
A trio of development consent orders added around 1.2GW to the UK solar pipeline, including a 720MW scheme consented in July. Decisions are pending on the 400MW Beacon Fenn project in South Lincolnshire, due by 22 August, and the 840MW Botley West scheme, expected by 10 September. Coverage on pv magazine.
Hiring angle: Consent is the trigger for detailed design and delivery mobilisation, so expect renewed candidate demand for grid connection, geotechnical and civil design engineers over the next two quarters. Employers benchmarking pay for these roles can start with our UK structural engineer salary guide and our civil engineering recruitment pages.
JustEng is a specialist engineering recruitment agency headhunting hard-to-find civil, structural, fire and façade engineers across the UK. If you are hiring, register your vacancy and we will map the market for you. If you are an engineer considering your next move, submit your CV for a confidential conversation.