Between Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th October, over 8,000 transport professionals and their organisations gathered in Birmingham for Highways UK.  

On the first day Richard Holden, Minister for Roads and Local Transport had a meeting with CIHT’s President, Karen McShane, Sue Percy, CIHT’s CEO and Antonenta Horbury, CIHT’s Director of Policy & Technical Practice. On the second day, Bill Esterson MP the Shadow Transport Minister for Roads from the Labour Party met Sue and Karen. 

Sue Percy, CEO of CIHT, was part of a panel discussion at a keynote session that focused on the skills and capability that the workforce in the transport sector will need to develop over the next few years.  Sue cited research that within the transport sector, alongside other sectors, 90% of companies are aware that there is a skills gap in their workforce. And that 90% of roles require the acquisition of new skills within the time five to ten years. 

Local highway authorities (LHAs) are facing the challenge of identifying skills required across the entire project lifecycle: from early-stage planning and procurement to delivery and ongoing asset management.  

Sue said the sector had to attract new people to work within it and highlighted the application of new digital technologies (that are being deployed) will attract people in their ability to address environmental challenges.

The sector must focus on attracting people to roles that are clear in their scope to addressing and supporting wider societal benefits, such as connectivity, economic growth, environmental sustainability, improved living environments, and supporting public health. This shift in perspective is not only about attracting newcomers but also about engaging mid-career professionals who have important life experiences and perspectives that they can share with early-career professionals.

The overall message was clear: the sector must change its narrative, enhance collaboration with external stakeholders, act collectively, invest in leadership, and prioritise learning and development. In doing this the sector’s workforce with be resilient to challenges and able to adapt to an uncertain future enviroment.

Michael Dnes, Head of Future Road technology, presented a new initiative from DfT that looks at unlocking the potential of technology on roads: technology can deliver significant benefits and can reduce costs.  

The DfT is actively engaging with professionals in the sector, starting with local authorities, to gain insights into the obstacles hindering the use of technology. The objective is to establish a shared understanding of the challenges and offer support to organisations in developing their own approaches. 

The insights gathered under the "Roads to Tomorrow" initiative, will inform key decision-making processes, such as the Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), and facilitate the development of tools and frameworks to assist decision-makers in the sector when it comes to adopting technology. 

CIHT welcomes this initiative that represents a forward-looking approach to drive progress and innovation and look forward to engaging with DfT on this project.