​By Adam Butler, Department Manager, Infrastructure & Highways

A recent BBC article has highlighted the shifting landscape within the infrastructure sector, bringing renewed focus to the challenges surrounding talent attraction and retention. As specialists in highways and infrastructure recruitment, we see these pressures playing out in real time. The preference for local candidates and a notable drop in graduate opportunities are more than passing trends, they’re reshaping how our clients hire and how the talent pipeline develops.

The desire to hire locally is, at face value, entirely reasonable. Local candidates are easier to onboard, they know the area, they’re often more cost-effective, and they tend to stay longer. However, this preference becomes problematic when it restricts access to a wider talent pool, particularly in areas where infrastructure professionals are already in short supply. Hiring managers may find themselves repeatedly going after the same candidates as their competitors, inflating salary expectations and extending time-to-hire. In regions with limited infrastructure activity or sparse engineering education provision, there simply aren’t enough professionals to meet demand and unless hiring policies adapt, vacancies will remain stubbornly open.

The BBC article rightly points out that encouraging graduates to stay and work in their local areas could help ease the skills shortage in the built environment. In theory, this is a sensible approach, but in practice, it’s not that straightforward. Many graduates are drawn to major conurbations by the perceived availability of career progression, better pay, or more varied work. If we want graduates to stay local, employers need to offer compelling reasons for them to do so. That means more than just a job, it means demonstrating clear progression pathways, supporting professional development, and offering flexibility and benefits that can match what they might expect in a larger city. Without that, the pull of urban centres will continue to drain talent from the regions that need it most.

Similarly, the reduction in graduate hiring is cause for concern. We’ve observed a marked decline in entry-level vacancies across the sector. With tight project deadlines and budgetary constraints, many employers are prioritising candidates who can deliver immediately, without the need for training or supervision. That’s understandable, but short-sighted. When graduate recruitment slows down, so too does the development of future mid-level talent. These early-career hires often bring new perspectives, fresh digital skills, and a willingness to adapt, all of which are essential as infrastructure work evolves.

There’s also a broader shift underway. The infrastructure sector is becoming more digitally driven, with BIM integration, GIS mapping, remote monitoring tools, and data-led planning now central to many projects. Sustainability and resilience are no longer add-ons but core components of design. This means hiring managers should be looking for potential as much as past experience. Candidates with skills in data analysis, environmental sciences, or software development may not have traditional highways backgrounds, but they could bring the capabilities needed to drive innovation. In these cases, recruitment is no longer just about matching CVs to job specs, but about identifying adaptability and future-readiness.

From our standpoint at Carrington West, we encourage clients to review how their hiring strategies align with these evolving sector demands. If the candidate market feels tight, it may not be because there’s no talent out there, it may be because the brief is too narrow. Thinking creatively about transferable skills, revisiting graduate pipelines, and offering flexible arrangements like relocation support or hybrid working can unlock new possibilities.

Ultimately, infrastructure delivery depends on people as much as policy and funding. We want to help our clients build teams that are not only capable today but prepared for tomorrow’s challenges. If you’re struggling to find the right candidates, or if you want a fresh perspective on your talent strategy, we’re here to support you.

Read the BBC article here.