​By Blayne Cahill, Director & Ilya Donets, Principal Consultant - Highways

The theme of the CIHT National Conference 2026 was clear from the outset: resilience. Across policy, infrastructure and workforce discussions, the message repeated throughout the day was that resilience must now be built into the planning, delivery and management of transport networks rather than treated as a response to disruption.

Optimistic Outlook for Funding and Investment

The conference opened with a keynote from Simon Lightwood MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, who struck an optimistic tone around the future of UK transport investment. Further announcements on funding are expected soon, including details around the next Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). A key point was that resilience will be central to future infrastructure planning. The UK experienced an intensive period of highway structure construction during the 1960s and 1970s, and many of those assets are now approaching the point where significant renewal work is required. As a result, RIS3 is expected to place a greater emphasis on renewals and maintaining the resilience of the existing network, while still looking to increase capacity where necessary.

The Road to Net Zero is Bumpy at Best

The discussion around climate and resilience continued with James Richardson, Director of Analysis at the Climate Change Committee. His presentation provided a more cautious perspective on the UK’s progress towards net zero. While there has been encouraging progress in areas such as electric vehicle rollout, the overall pathway remains challenging. Transport will be one of the most critical sectors over the next 10–15 years if the UK is to meet the commitments set out in the Paris Agreement. Richardson highlighted that alongside EV adoption, changes in household energy use will also be essential if the country is to reach its long-term targets.

Operational Challenges Persist

Several sessions explored resilience from an operational perspective. One of the most engaging was the discussion on adaptation and the need for an “all-hazards” approach to infrastructure resilience. Case studies included extreme weather responses from local authorities, flooding events in Vancouver, and the sinkholes in Godstone. The Godstone example in particular illustrated how complex infrastructure incidents can be. While the public may expect an immediate fix, the reality required extensive collaboration between geotechnical experts, highways teams and multiple agencies to ensure the long-term stability of the network rather than a short-term solution.

Resilience in the Future Means Identifying New Risks from Electrification

Another panel looked at resilient cities and communities. While the discussion covered a wide range of topics, one point stood out: resilience planning can sometimes introduce new risks if systems become overly dependent on single infrastructure sources. As transport systems increasingly electrify, from vehicles to rail infrastructure, power reliability becomes even more critical. Extreme weather events that disrupt power supply could therefore have a wider impact than in the past.

A further discussion on disaster management focused on how infrastructure organisations prepare operational teams and communities to respond when crises occur. Beyond planning and asset management, there was an important reminder that resilience is also about people. Those responding to emergencies often work extremely long hours in challenging conditions, and their wellbeing must be considered alongside operational performance. Effective disaster response also depends heavily on collaboration between agencies including local authorities, emergency services and community organisations.

Workforce Resilience is Key

Carrington West was honoured to participate in the final panel of the day around workforce resilience which was another recuring theme in all sessions, particularly in relation to the ageing demographic across the sector. Data from the CIHT Employment Trends Survey shows that 36% of respondents are aged 55 or above, highlighting the scale of experience that may leave the industry over the next decade. At the same time, research suggests the annual skills gap across transport, civil engineering, environmental and sustainability roles could reach 40,000 people per year.

There are some encouraging signs elsewhere in construction. Data released this week from the Construction Skills Certification Scheme shows that one in four CSCS card holders is now under 30. The challenge for highways and transport is to replicate that progress. One positive example came from Northern Ireland, where the Department for Infrastructure recognised the ageing workforce early and deliberately increased recruitment of entry-level professionals to strengthen the long-term talent pipeline.

The workforce discussion also raised an interesting point around technology. With artificial intelligence increasingly capable of carrying out some entry-level tasks, there is a risk that traditional early-career opportunities could be reduced at exactly the time the industry needs to bring more people into it. Addressing this requires a coordinated approach across employers, educators and professional bodies to ensure accessible pathways into the sector remain visible and attractive.

For us, we pressed home the importance of culture. Organisations that develop strong, engaging cultures tend to retain people more effectively, creating what the panel described as a “sticky” environment where individuals want to stay and develop their careers. This begins with hiring processes that assess cultural fit as well as technical capability. At Carrington West we use tools such as Thomas International to support that approach, alongside ongoing development initiatives including self-development objectives, access to learning resources and regular engagement reviews.

Resilience can also be developed at an individual level. One practical step is encouraging employees to define both personal and professional goals that are regularly reviewed. Having a clear long-term purpose can make a significant difference when individuals face short-term challenges. At Carrington West we also place value on preparing for potential setbacks, what we sometimes refer to as “rehearsing adversity” , to reduce the likelihood of surprises and improve decision-making under pressure.

Perhaps the most important message from the workforce discussion was the need for the sector to strengthen its employer value proposition. Survey data suggests that while many organisations plan to hire this year, 87% of professionals say they are satisfied in their current role and 70% do not expect to move jobs. At the same time, sectors such as water and energy are experiencing particularly high levels of investment and are competing for similar skillsets.

In that environment, organisations must go beyond salary competition alone. Clear career pathways, inclusive entry routes and strong workplace cultures will be critical to attracting talent from other sectors, younger demographics, under-represented groups and individuals returning to the workforce.

The overarching takeaway from the CIHT National Conference 2026 was that resilience is no longer just an infrastructure issue. It spans policy, climate adaptation, operational planning and workforce strategy. If the sector is to meet the challenges ahead, resilience will need to be built not only into roads and structures, but into the people and organisations responsible for delivering them.

​