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People make certainty possible
Skills shortages are becoming a direct threat to project delivery.
Skilled labour shortages have delayed an average of 34% of projects, compared with 29% for unskilled labour. Skilled construction labour has the greatest reported impact, cited by 43% of respondents.
But the problem goes beyond the construction site. Respondents also report shortages in commercial and cost management, engineering and technical design, project management, AI and digital skills.
The result? 97% say skills shortages are increasing uncertainty.
The skills gap is getting wider
The skills gap is about more than just having enough people. It is about having the right capability to make good decisions and keep projects moving.
Our maturity analysis identified five capability markers: AI to mitigate risk, digital integration, data analytics, embedded sustainability and investment in skills. They are closely connected. Technology and data only improve delivery when teams have the skills and experience to use them well.
That makes capability increasingly important across the project lifecycle. Commercial and cost management skills help teams understand and price risk. Technical expertise helps identify problems earlier. Project controls connect cost, programme and risk. Digital skills turn data into useful insight.
And technology doesn’t remove the need for human expertise. 78% of respondents say it remains important or essential in critical risk decision-making.
“Competence and continuity make a real difference. You need strong people to drive the process, especially in complex markets. Over time, you also build a library of reliable contractors and consultants. In one market, for example, we have an A-team that has worked with us for years. They know what we need, our standards and our compliance requirements. That maturity takes time to build, but it helps projects move faster and more efficiently from one project to the next.”
— Senior leader at an international retail and real estate group
Skills alone aren’t enough
How people work together matters too.
Projects become harder to control when commercial, technical and delivery teams work separately, information is fragmented or suppliers are involved too late.
Earlier collaboration gives teams more time to identify risk, challenge assumptions and act.
For data centres, that can mean planning specialist capacity years rather than months ahead.
“In data centres, there are three separate challenges: people capacity, specialised equipment and commodity materials. On the people side, you have standard trades, but also more specialist skills such as commissioning and network connectivity. Those specialist skills are harder to transfer from other industries, so everyone is competing for the same people. That is why you have to plan early, decide who your contractors will be and book capacity 12 to 24 months in advance. If you get to six months out and there is no capacity, you will struggle to commission your data centre.”
— John Kutcher, Programme Manager, EPC - Data Centres, SLB
Organisations are responding
46% of respondents are upskilling or training existing employees. 41% are hiring new talent. 40% are increasing automation or AI, while the same proportion are funding training and education programmes to expand the talent pool.
How organisations are addressing the skills gap to build capability
AI could help existing teams go further. 66% expect it to improve efficiency and productivity, while 51% expect it to help close skills gaps. But the research points to a broader answer: organisations need to invest in people and technology together.
The priority is to build capability deliberately: skilled people, trusted data, purposeful technology, clear governance and teams aligned around the same outcomes.
“Getting the people side right is a big part of delivery certainty. In healthcare, you’re often working in live environments, where clinical services have to keep running and there’s very little room for disruption. You need the right people involved early, with the information, buy-in and authority to make decisions.
Technology and training both have an important role. So do experience and teamwork. The best teams bring clinical, technical, commercial and delivery expertise together around the same goal. That helps them spot risks earlier, make decisions faster and keep the project moving without disrupting the care people depend on.”
Helen Pickering
Global Healthcare Sector Lead Currie & Brown
Case study
Collaboration from design to delivery
Patients, families and clinicians are at the heart of Great Ormond Street Hospital’s (GOSH) new Children’s Cancer Centre. We are providing project and cost management, healthcare planning and specialist advice. Working with hospital teams and contractors, we’re shaping the design around how care is delivered while managing risk and cost. We’re also helping GOSH understand its energy use and plan for a fossil-fuel-free future.
This collaboration becomes even more important during construction. With active clinical spaces metres from the site, clear communication and close coordination between hospital teams, contractors and the project team are essential to minimise disruption and maintain safe, continuous care.
By bringing the right people together, GOSH can create a centre shaped around the needs of patients and clinicians, while maintaining control over cost, delivery, disruption and its long-term environmental impact.