The built environment employs approximately 540,000 skilled workers in Finland, of which approximately 380,000 work in construction, construction services and the construction product industry. Approximately one fifth of the construction workforce is foreign. Economic cycles and specialization in the sector change skill requirements, but in the long term, the member companies of the Finnish Construction Industry RT estimate that the need for labor will increase.
Companies in the construction industry see the skills shortage first and foremost as a qualitative problem. Even if there are applicants, it is challenging to find a workforce with the right professional skills. The need for labor will increase even more in the future. Read the 2024 skills needs assessment (pdf).
Our goal
- We are lowering the entry and return thresholds for the sector and developing training in the sector to meet the skills needs of working life.
- We promote measures that support the completion of incomplete degree programs, guidance, and financial support.
- We are implementing measures to increase the number of priority applicants for training in the field in joint applications. We are monitoring the development using a 3-year moving average.
- The main goal of vocational education is to improve employment to 70 percent one year after graduation. The current rate is around 60–65 percent.
- In higher education, the target completion time of 3,5 years, 4 years or 5 years + 2 years will increase to 70 percent. The current figure is around 60 percent.
Skills shortage as an obstacle to growth
There are two main reasons that hinder the growth of companies' business: demand and a shortage of skills. Even in an upswing, the growth of the cyclical construction industry will continue to be hindered by a shortage of skills, as the working-age population decreases due to retirement and smaller age groups. Competition for skills is intensifying, and therefore a wide range of different ways are needed to make operations more efficient and ensure a sufficient supply of skills. In the 2024 RT skills needs survey, three out of four respondents expect the number of personnel to increase over the next 10 years.
Traction and grip are emphasized in the competition among experts
From the perspective of the availability of skilled labor, the domestic education system, from vocational education to higher education, produces the majority of the construction workforce. The share of foreign labor is about one fifth, and this will increase in the future as the working-age population decreases. Competition for future professionals will intensify in the future, both in the domestic labor market and in Europe.
More investment in higher education completion
The completion rate of higher education in the construction industry, like many other technical fields, leaves much to be desired. Increasing entry-level positions will not help if degrees are not completed. The construction industry has strict personal qualification requirements, so it is in the interest of both the individual and the employer that the degree is completed.
Degrees completed
Completing incomplete studies is a quick and cost-effective way to increase the number of qualified employees, especially white-collar workers. On a personal level, completing a degree can be an obstacle to advancing to more demanding positions in your career. The construction industry is also regulated in terms of personal qualifications, so it is important to complete your studies. Especially during a weaker economic cycle, it is a good opportunity to complete incomplete education.
Better impact on vocational education and training
The employment opportunities of graduates of vocational education in the construction sector need to be improved. Employment is partly cyclical, so it varies from year to year. However, this does not explain the mismatch problem. The geographical coverage of construction education is very good. However, actual construction is considerably more concentrated, so mobility for work should be better taken into account in study and career planning. Not all graduates achieve a sufficient level of competence during their studies, so more attention should be paid to the quality of learning. In addition to employment, it is important that many students advance their career development by continuing their studies at a higher education institution.
Contact persons
Jukka Sarhimaa
Labor market director
jukka.sarhimaa@rt.fi +358 40 184 1004Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)
Saku Lehtinen
Leading expert
saku.lehtinen@rt.fi +358 40 041 2057Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)