Construction Skills Roadshow Bournemouth – March 2026

On 10th March 2026, Bournemouth hosted the first stop of the South West CTEC Construction Skills Roadshow, led by Exeter College as the South West Construction Technical Education College (CTEC).

The focus was on how collaboration between colleges, employers and local partners can actively shape the future construction workforce in Dorset and across the wider South West.

Bringing together industry leaders, education providers and local stakeholders, the Bournemouth event was a great starting point to discuss what we want to achieve with CTEC and the provision of Construction skills across the South West. Creating a shared responsibility for skills development, clearer progression pathways, and a commitment to turning discussion into tangible next steps.

What construction skills are needed to build Dorset’s future?

Delegates heard from Rosie Knapper, Dorset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) Lead at Dorset Chamber of Commerce, who grounded the day in local evidence and national priorities.

Her presentation positioned construction skills as a critical sector for regional growth, with demand stretching from entry level through to higher technical and professional roles.

Particular pressure points included:

• Skilled trades such as bricklaying, carpentry, groundworks and roofing.
• Technical and professional roles including site management, quantity surveying and planning.
• Green construction and retrofit skills, driven by net zero commitments and local decarbonisation programmes.
• Civil and costal management such as highways maintenance, drainage and costal engineering.

Rosie also addressed the leaky pipeline facing the sector - an ageing workforce, limited engagement with younger people, and inconsistent work experience opportunities - reinforcing why employer involvement in education is a requirement if skills gaps are to close.

From policy to practice: employer-led early careers

Phoebe Gale, Social Value Manager at Tilbury Douglas, shared how a structured, long-term approach to early construction careers can deliver genuine impact - both for businesses and for local communities.

Rather than isolated school visits or short-term interventions, Phoebe outlined a staged approach built around:

• Early engagement to raise awareness and challenge perceptions
• Quality experiences such as T Level placements, work experience weeks and industry insight days
• Clear progression routes into apprenticeships, placements and graduate roles

The message was consistent throughout: collaboration is essential between employers, colleges, local authorities, industry bodies and learners.

Why does place matter when planning construction skills?

Jan Britton, Executive Director of Place at Dorset Council, highlighted the importance of skills planning with location-based priorities, connectivity and inclusive economic growth across the region. Ensuring that we can deliver the infrastructure required to develop Dorset.

Growing skills from within

The importance of growing your own was discussed by David Ashford, People and Culture Director at Ward Williams, who shared a candid insight into rebalancing graduate and apprenticeship recruitment.

Highlighting the benefits of apprenticeships - from local impact and social value to improved retention - David demonstrated how being aligned with HR processes, learning and development, and values-led culture can strengthen the talent pipeline over the long term. This made one thing clear: skills strategies work best when they’re designed with the workforce you want to retain front of mind.

How can collaboration directly shape the construction skills curriculum?

Education providers played a critical role on the day. With Richard Billington from The Cornwall College Group who showcased a robust, employer-led skills cycle that actively feeds industry insight into curriculum design, sequencing and delivery.

This approach ensures learners develop not only technical proficiency but also the wider, transferable skills employers consistently ask for - communication, teamwork, problem-solving and digital confidence. It was a powerful example of how education and industry can move beyond consultation towards true partnership.

Workshops, conversation and mission

The afternoon workshops and panel discussions reinforced a recurring theme: no single organisation can solve the construction skills challenge alone. Real progress depends on structured collaboration, shared accountability and a willingness to measure impact beyond headline numbers.

The Bournemouth event closed with a clear call to action - for employers to engage meaningfully, for educators to remain responsive, and for local partners to support systems that turn intent into outcomes.

Not just an event

The Construction Skills Roadshow Bournemouth was not designed to be a one-day conversation. It marked the beginning of a wider programme of engagement across the South West, with clear expectations that relationships formed, ideas shared and challenges raised will now translate into the right skills being developed to support the Government’s housing targets of 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.