What are the profiles of professionals who choose to retrain in construction?

In a context where the sector is facing significant recruitment difficulties, this work sheds light on the profiles of these workers, their motivations, the obstacles encountered and the opportunities offered by these professions, while proposing levers to encourage and facilitate these professional transitions.

Who are the professionals who are retraining in the construction industry and what are their backgrounds? From which sectors are these retrainings taking place? Which professions have the most skills similar to the technical professions in the construction industry? What are the obstacles encountered and the levers to activate to succeed in these retrainings? How can these transitions be supported and made more accessible? These are all questions that the Construction Industry Careers Observatory answers through this unique study, shedding light on the dynamics and challenges of professional retraining in a sector in search of new talent.

To better understand these trajectories, the study relied on a mixed methodology. Between July and October 2024, 50 interviews were conducted with job advisors, employees who had undergone career change, and companies employing these individuals. A quantitative survey was then conducted in September 2024, collecting responses from 289 companies. Finally, a working group of industry experts combined the analyses and identified levers to facilitate and encourage these career transitions.

To remember

• Retraining is mainly done in 3 categories of professions:
  • skilled workers (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, joiners, painters);
  • technical supervision (site managers, engineers);
  • execution workers (masons, formworkers, VRD workers, network installers, fitters).
• In the construction industry, the highest proportion of first-time entrants concerns the professions of painter, plasterer, drywaller and waterproofer.
• In Public Works, the proportion of first-time entrants is higher in the earthworks and track-laying professions.
• The most popular training courses within the framework of a professional transition project financed by Transitions Pro (ATpro) associations are, respectively, in Construction and Public Works:
  • the Professional Title (TP) thermal and sanitary installer;
  • the building equipment electrician TP;
  • training of public works machinery drivers.

The study highlights the main reasons that push professionals to turn to the construction sector:

• the search for meaningful jobs, through manual and concrete jobs;
• the search for local jobs thanks to jobs not only present throughout the territory, but also anchored in their territory;
• the prospect of independent status came up regularly in the interviews.

In order to highlight possible mobility towards construction trades, the study provides everyone with a practical tool through matrices, which can be consulted on the website of the Construction Trades Observatory.

Consult the full study results