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
Championing 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 further digitalise areas of our business, we are building a workforce with the flexible skillset needed for the future. Our Competency Framework supports our employees in understanding the skills and competencies required, both now and in the coming years, 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 can meet 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. The Academy runs training on many topics such as health and safety, sustainability, and building safety & quality assurance (BSQA). Colleagues are also given the opportunity to upskill using external qualifications, accreditations or apprenticeships.
Emerging Talent
Targeting at least 5% of people working on our sites and in our offices to 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 were delighted to be named the second top company to work for in our sector for both apprentices and graduates by TheJobCrowd for 2025/26. 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.
Our approach to hiring apprentices and graduates is leading the way in levelling the playing field to be more inclusive and reduce the potential for unconscious bias during the selection process by removing the use of CVs, anonymising all applications and asking role-specific competency questions to capture a candidate’s potential. Interview responses are measured against an objective scoring matrix and assessment centres are attended by assessors who have completed inclusive recruitment training.
2024/25 Highlights
8.7% of employees in '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
Engaged with young people through over 280 events with a careers focus and over 100 work experience placements
Awards, Accreditations & Partnerships
Gold Member
The 5% Club
Participant
Social Mobility Employers Index
Ranked 2nd in our sector
TheJobCrowd's Top Companies for Graduates and Apprentices to Work For
Latest News
Berkeley Ranked UK’s Fourth Best Apprentice Employer
Berkeley Group has been recognised as one of the best companies in the UK for early careers.
Berkeley ‘Opens the Door’ to 15 Major Regeneration Sites
Berkeley Group proudly took part in a nationwide initiative that lifts the curtain on the built environment sector and the variety of rewarding careers it has to offer.
Secretary of State for Education Visits Oval Village to Mark Start of National Apprenticeship Week
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, visited Oval Village today as the Department for Education celebrated the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week.
Further Information
Rewarding Careers
There's a built environment career for everyone. Hear from the stars of our video, as they explain how they found a role that brings out the best in them.Find Out More
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 the Berkeley Group.
Shape the Future
Our Vision 2030: 2025 Progress Update
This extract from the Berkeley Group’s 2025 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 2024 to April 2025.
Berkeley Group Our Vision 2030
