MHCLG Call for Evidence - Strategy for the Built Environment Professions, Trades and Occupations

In August 2026, the Offsite Alliance submitted its response to the Government’s Call for Evidence on the Strategy for the Built Environment Professions, Trades and Occupations, representing the experience and evidence of our members across the industrialised construction sector.

Our response draws together five years of work through the OA Skills and Competencies Group, including the Building Capability foresighting programme, From Pilot to Pipeline, the development of the Industrialisation Readiness Framework and our work on national standards and competency frameworks.

At its heart is a simple argument: the built environment does not just have a skills shortage; it has a capability challenge. Construction is becoming increasingly industrialised, digital and manufacturing-led, while much of the system responsible for educating, training and developing people remains organised around traditional occupations and ways of working.

We are calling for a workforce system that reflects the industry we have today and the one we are creating: moving from occupations towards capabilities, recognising organisational capability alongside individual competence, better aligning education, industry, procurement and regulation, and giving people the ability to adapt and develop throughout their careers.

This resource brings together our Industrialising Construction: Capability Before Competence position paper and our full response to the MHCLG Call for Evidence.

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