Employment by Occupation in Construction and Building Professional Services

Research to gather data on the construction industry workforce, to help shape the future of construction and building professional services.

About the study

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is non-governmental body, sponsored by the Department for Education (DfE). They work with the construction industry providing support and funding, to encourage training to help build a safe, professional and full qualified workforce.

To make sure that the CITB’s initiatives and strategies deliver meaningful outcomes, it is important to have detailed and up-to-date data on the Construction and Building Professional Services’ workforce.

Therefore, the CITB with support from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), have commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to conduct research into the Construction and Building Professional Services’ workforce. The survey will provide an up-to-date picture of the structure of the industry, collecting data on the numbers of people employed in different occupational categories, engaged in non-residential housebuilding, housebuilding and civil engineering, and employment status (employees, trainees, self-employed).

This is the sixth Employment by Occupation survey to be run on behalf of the CITB, with previous surveys conducted in 1998, 2001, 2005, 2011, and 2015. To read the previous report, visit Employment by occupation - CITB.

Why take part?

By taking part in this research, you will ensure that the CITB understand the industry and its workforce. With accurate information about the workforce, the CITB will be able to support training that reflects the real needs of organisations like yours.

What will it involve?

Taking part will involve completing an online questionnaire, the time taken to complete will vary depending on the number of people working at your organisation. In order to make the process as quick as possible it would be useful to have your HR records to hand before starting the questionnaire. 

The information we need you to provide us with is really simple – we would like to know the number of employees, trainees and self-employed people at the organisation to which your letter or email is addressed, either on the day you complete the questionnaire or from your most recent reporting period.

What will happen to the information I give?

We will treat all the information you give in the strictest confidence under current data protection legislation. The results collected will be used by the CITB for research purposes only. No one looking at the findings will be able to identify information about your organisation. For more information please see our privacy notice.

Why have I been selected to take part?

Your organisation has been selected to represent a certain size and type of organisation in the Construction and Building Professional Services sector. You have been contacted as the appropriate person to complete the survey on behalf of the organisation, or who is able to identify the correct person to do so. By taking part you will ensure that the training needs of your organisations, and others like you, are represented in the work of the CITB.

Who is carrying out the research?

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has been commissioned to carry out this study on behalf of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) with the support of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

NatCen are Britain’s largest independent social research agency. For over 50 years, we have been working with charities and government to help them make the right decisions. We are independent of all government departments and political parties.

Contact us:

If you have any further questions or would like to discuss the research, please contact us at construction@natcen.ac.uk or call for free on 0800 652 4568 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 8.00pm)