The biggest story in UK construction this week is not a new power tool. The Construction Industry Training Board has published its workforce outlook for 2026 to 2030, and the message for any trade business trying to hire is straightforward: it is going to stay difficult. Growth is returning to the sector, but the skills pipeline has not caught up. If you are an employer or an apprenticeship sponsor, this report is worth reading.
Elsewhere, a remote-controlled skip loader is drawing attention on site, Milwaukee continues to develop its M18 FUEL range in the UK, and West Fraser is making the case for oriented strand board as a practical alternative to plasterboard. Here is what happened.
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CITB Workforce Outlook 2026-2030: Growth Is Coming, but the Skills Gap Stays
The Construction Industry Training Board has published its annual Construction Workforce Outlook, covering 2026 to 2030. The report sets out expected demand across the industry over the next five years and what it means for hiring, training, and apprenticeships.
The headline finding is that construction is expected to grow over the medium term, but the skills shortage that has defined the sector since the pandemic is not going away. The board points to specific trades and competencies where the gap between demand and qualified supply is widest.
For employers, the report is a planning document as much as a forecast. Businesses that start training and recruiting now will be better positioned when the workload builds. For younger workers considering a trade, the outlook is straightforwardly positive: the work will be there.
Source: Professional Builder
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The Zippa Skip Loader: Remote-Controlled Skip Loading for UK Sites
A remote-controlled skip loader called the Zippa is getting attention in the trade press this week. General builder Steven Gaal demonstrated the machine for Professional Builder, describing it as a solution to one of the more awkward and accident-prone tasks on site: loading a skip safely and efficiently.
The Zippa uses remote control to put the operator at a safe distance from moving materials. Skip loading is one of those jobs that looks simple but carries real manual handling and crush risks, particularly on cramped urban sites where there is limited space to manoeuvre. A remote-controlled loader changes the ergonomics entirely.
Source: Professional Builder
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OSB as a Plasterboard Alternative: West Fraser Makes the Case
West Fraser, the timber panel manufacturer, has published guidance making the case for oriented strand board as a sustainable alternative to traditional plasterboard. The argument centres on environmental impact: plasterboard is manufactured from gypsum, which involves mining and produces waste that is difficult to dispose of without toxic landfill emissions. OSB is a wood-based product from a renewable resource.
The practical implications for trades are real. OSB behaves differently to plasterboard under fixings, requires different screws and finishing techniques, and has different moisture resistance properties depending on the grade. Any trade considering the switch needs to understand what changes and what does not.
Source: Professional Builder
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Milwaukee Continues M18 FUEL Range Development
Milwaukee Tool UK is continuing to develop its M18 FUEL range across impact drivers, impact wrenches, drill drivers, and battery and charger systems. The current range includes sub-compact, standard, and right-angle impact driver configurations, alongside heavy-duty impact wrenches designed for high-torque applications.
The M18 FUEL battery platform remains one of the broadest cordless ecosystems available to UK tradespeople. The current charger range also includes a tool to find the right charger for your existing batteries.
Source: Milwaukee Tool UK
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TradeKart Becomes Strategic Partner of Band of Builders
TradeKart, which supplies materials to the UK trade, has announced a strategic partnership with Band of Builders, one of the construction sector's leading charities. Band of Builders supports tradespeople who are facing serious illness by completing building work they can no longer do themselves.
The partnership extends the charity's reach at a time when awareness of mental health and serious illness in the trades continues to grow.
Source: Professional Builder
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Sandpaper and Multi-Tool Blades: Getting the Basics Right
Two practical guides worth flagging this week. Toolden has published a detailed breakdown of sandpaper grit ratings, covering when to use coarse, medium, fine, and very fine grades, and how backing material affects performance on wood and other surfaces.
Separately, a guide to Makita multi-tool accessories sets out which blade type suits which material. Segmented wood blades, BIM blades for wood with nails, HSS metal blades, and carbide blades for grout and hard materials each behave differently. Using the wrong blade costs time and money.
Sources: Toolden Blog (sandpaper) | Toolden Blog (multi-tool blades)
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Watchlist
- Makita Impact Premier and Cosmos Blade Systems continue to appear in Makita UK feeds without detailed excerpts. Worth monitoring for a formal press release.
- Makita Workwear has a dedicated UK site now live at makitaukworkwear.com.
- CITB Workforce Outlook warrants a deeper write-up once the full report is reviewed.
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