Government and campaigns
The government’s Jobs Plans set out how it intends to build the workforce needed to deliver its Industrial Strategy. Five plans have been published, covering Professional and Business Services, Construction, Financial Services, Clean Energy and Life Sciences.
For recruiters, they offer insight into where government and employers want to develop skills and expand training.
Here is what you need to know:
Some PBS employers have committed to recruiting 22,400 apprentices aged under 25 each year for five years, alongside a 20% increase in work experience opportunities. The plan also focuses on AI skills and clearer routes into careers.
For recruiters, this could mean opportunities to help employers build early-career talent pipelines and recruit people with specialist skills, particularly as AI reshapes some aspects of professional services.
The industry aims to create 100,000 job opportunities annually, including 40,000 placements a year. The previously announced £625 million “Construction Skills Package” in England aims to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers during this Parliament.
Recruiters supplying construction and infrastructure projects could work with clients to map upcoming projects against their workforce needs, identifying shortages in trades and technical skills early enough to help employers secure the talent they need.
Read the Construction Jobs Plan.
Unlike the other Jobs Plans, the Financial Services Skills Compact is an employer-led agreement rather than a standalone sector plan with a package of new government funding.
The Financial Services Skills Compact asks participating firms to upskill their UK workforce in AI and other critical skills, maintain or expand routes for new talent and report annually on progress.
Skills England projects demand for 315,000 workers in priority occupations by 2035, including 130,000 additional workers to support growth and 185,000 to replace people leaving existing roles. This is projected workforce demand, not a forecast of agency placements.
Read the Financial Services Skills Compact.
The plan includes more than £100 million for an Engineering Skills Package and five Clean Energy Technical Excellence Colleges. Up to £20 million will support North Sea workers transitioning into clean energy roles.
Recruiters may be able to help employers access engineering and technical skills by identifying transferable experience from related industries.
Read the Clean Energy Jobs Plan.
The sector is projected to need 66,000 additional workers in priority occupations by 2035, alongside replacing around 52,000 existing workers.
Eligible employers can access a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for recruiting qualifying unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds. Smaller employers can also access apprenticeship support, including a £2,000 hiring payment for eligible new apprentices aged 16 to 24 from October 2026.
These measures could help employers widen their talent pools and develop entry-level technical and manufacturing skills.
Read the Life Sciences Jobs Plan.
Skills England projects that employment in priority occupations across the Industrial Strategy sectors, Construction, and Health and Adult Social Care could grow by around 1.8 million between 2025 and 2035. Meeting that demand will require more than training new entrants. Employers must also retain existing workers and recruit people with transferable skills.
The recruitment industry contributed £40.6 billion to the UK economy in 2025, with around 872,000 temporary and contract workers on assignment on any given day. Recruiters understand where vacancies are hardest to fill and how candidates’ skills match employers’ needs. That expertise should inform workforce policy, helping ensure training responds to real demand.
The REC will continue to make this case through its engagement with government, including our recent Budget consultation submission.
The plans do not guarantee new business, but they offer a starting point for conversations with clients. Ask whether planned investment, expansion or changing skills requirements could affect their hiring needs. Understanding these plans early can help recruiters anticipate demand and support clients as their workforce requirements change.
Further plans for Digital and Technologies and Defence are due later this week. Advanced Manufacturing and Creative Industries are also in development.
Explore all the government’s Jobs Plans and REC’s Recruitment Industry Status Report.
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