Future Skills
Our goal is to equip our people with the skills they need both now and for the future, enhancing social mobility and inspiring new talent to join the industry.
Our Approach
The built environment sector is facing a skills crisis as more people are currently leaving the industry than joining it. With increasing production levels planned over the next decade, we are working to ensure we have the right people and skills to help us deliver by promoting the industry and encouraging young people to consider the range of career choices. We are also placing significant importance on upskilling our employees in preparation for the increasing use of modern methods of construction and digital technology.
Industry Image
Actively champion careers in the built environment
We engage with young people, education providers and employers to transform perceptions of careers in the built environment. We undertake a range of engagement activities, such as events with schools, colleges and universities or offering work experience placements to give people an opportunity to experience working in the sector, and are growing our network of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) ambassadors. By 2030 we aim to have engaged with more than 50,000 young people, as we champion the industry and showcase the breadth of attractive opportunities available to people from all walks of life.
Employee Skills
Upskilling our workforce, to support modernising industry
As we modernise production and digitalise other areas of our business, we are building a workforce with the flexible skillset needed for the future. We have launched a new Competency Framework to support our employees in understanding the skills and competencies required, both now and for the future, across all disciplines of our business to ensure that we are training and upskilling our workforce for the future of the industry. This includes an increased focus on digital and green skills to ensure that we are capable of meeting the needs of advanced manufacturing and emerging changes in regulatory requirements.
The Berkeley Academy is an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) with the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and delivers training for our employees across two training centres. Colleagues are also given the opportunity to upskill using external qualifications, accreditations or apprenticeships.
Emerging Talent
5% of people working on our sites and in our offices will be an apprentice, graduate or in formal training
We believe there is a job for everyone in the built environment sector, and offer several pathways for people of all backgrounds to join the business. We have expanded the range of our apprenticeship and graduate programmes and support more than 500 apprentices across our construction sites every year. We are proud to be a member of The 5% Club, ensuring that at least 5% of our employees and people working on our sites are a graduate, apprentice or sponsored student, and we work with our supply chain to support early careers and help to tackle some of the industry’s skills shortages. We gift our unallocated Apprenticeship Levy through Workwhile, with a particular focus on built environment roles within London’s SMEs.
Highlights
9.5% of employees are in an earn and learn roles as graduates, apprentices or sponsored students
Took part in Open Doors, an industry-wide initiative run by Build UK and CITB
In 2023/24 we engaged with young people through nearly 200 events with a careers focus and over 55 work experience placements
Awards, Accreditations & Partnerships
Gold Member
The 5% Club
Participant
Social Mobility Employers Index
Ranked at number 10
The Job Crowd's Top Companies for Graduates to Work For and voted best scheme in the Property & Housebuilding industry
Latest News
Berkeley Group Takes ‘Gold’ for Skills and Training
Berkeley Group has been named a Gold member of The 5% Club for the second consecutive year, with 10% of staff across the Group in ‘earn and learn’ positions in 2022-2023.
Berkeley Capital Strikes Gold for “High Quality” Apprenticeship Scheme
Berkeley Homes Capital has been awarded Gold Accreditation by Investors in People for its “high quality” work with apprentices.
Berkeley Hosts T-Level Insights Day
Berkeley Group hosted a T-Levels Insights Day to connect education professionals with the build environment industry.
Further Information
Rewarding Careers
There's a built environment career for everyone. Hear from the stars of our new video, as they explain how they found a role that brings out the best in them.Find Out More
Future Skills Brochure
Delivering a genuinely effective and future facing skills development programme is challenging. But investing in skills makes sense on every level. It transforms people's lives, strengthens the local communities in which we work and is vital to the long-term success of our business, industry and country. This document shares some of the Berkeley Group's solutions and learning.
Future Skills
Shape The Future Brochure
Our training, apprenticeship and graduate programmes offer fantastic ways to develop skills and fulfil potential. This document highlights the routes and roles available within Berkeley Group.
Shape the Future
Our Vision 2030: 2024 Progress Update
This extract from the Berkeley Group’s 2024 Annual Report provides an update on progress towards meeting our targets across each of our ten strategic priorities and details highlights for the period May 2023 to April 2024.
Our Vision 2030