RE:UK Response to the Built Environment Professions, Trades and Occupations Call for Evidence

Overview

Real Estate:UK has responded to the Government’s call for evidence on a new strategy for built environment professions, trades and occupations, setting out the skills, competence and capacity needed to support the sector in the decades ahead.

Drawing on evidence from RE:UK members, our response calls for a whole-lifecycle approach to skills - recognising how buildings are planned, designed, constructed, occupied, maintained and adapted over time. It highlights the growing importance of AI, data and digital skills, sustainability and retrofit expertise, building performance and lifelong professional development.

Our key asks

We're calling on Government to:

• Build on and better align existing competence frameworks, standards and qualifications rather than creating unnecessary new structures.
• Support lifelong learning and continuous professional development as skills and technologies evolve.
• Address emerging skills requirements in AI, data and digital technologies.
• Strengthen skills in sustainability, retrofit, building performance, repair and adaptation.
• Take a whole-lifecycle approach, with greater focus on how buildings perform in use.
• Ensure regulation focuses on positive outcomes rather than process and supports collaboration, professional judgement and long-term value.