I registered for Aberdeen’s “Get Into Construction” event expecting another routine career fair. Then I saw the numbers behind it.
Skills Development Scotland projects Aberdeen needs 1,000 additional construction jobs by 2034. Aberdeen City Council scheduled the December 1st event at the Beach Ballroom—no booking required, free entry—bringing together educational institutions, construction firms, and government representatives to connect job seekers with opportunities.
81% of engineering construction employers in Aberdeen face hiring challenges right now. That compares to 71% across Great Britain. Aberdeen’s workforce crisis runs deeper than the national average.
35% of construction workers are over 50, while only 20% are under 30. Over one-third will retire by 2035. Aberdeen needs to add 1,000 workers while simultaneously replacing the third of its workforce retiring.
The coalition reflects this urgency. Robert Gordon University, North East Scotland College, CHAP, Balfour Beatty, Morrison Construction. The event runs 10am to 1pm, targeting job seekers, students, graduates, and career changers.
Some exhibitors will offer immediate vacancies. Others provide pathway information and entry requirements.
94% of Scotland’s construction workforce were living in Scotland when they started their construction careers. 76% have worked in Scotland their entire career. Regional construction shortages require local talent development.
The event aligns with the Scottish Government’s “No One Left Behind” program. Free exhibition stands for construction organizations through ABZWorks.
A three-hour event represents strategic intent. Whether it represents adequate scale depends on how many similar initiatives Aberdeen can sustain between now and 2034, and whether those initiatives can compete with the retirement wave already in motion.
Aberdeen’s construction sector recognizes the demographic reality and the hiring emergency. Collaborative workforce development makes sense when 94% of future workers already live in the region. The challenge: connecting them to pathways before the aging workforce retires faster than replacements arrive.