What does "% of companies" mean?

Each percentage represents the proportion of construction companies in our dataset that actively track or use that particular skill, trade, or form template. For example, if CSCS shows 100%, it means every company in the dataset tracks CSCS cards for their workforce.

How often is this data updated?

This report is generated periodically from a live aggregation of Chime customer databases. The underlying data reflects real-world usage patterns and is updated as companies configure new skills, trades, and form templates in their accounts.

What is a construction card scheme?

Construction card schemes like CSCS, CPCS, and NPORS are industry-recognised certification systems that prove a worker holds the right qualifications for their role. Most UK construction sites require workers to carry valid cards, and companies use Chime to track card types, expiry dates, and renewal reminders.

Can Chime track all of these skills and qualifications automatically?

Yes. Chime's Skills & Competency module lets you define any skill, qualification, or card scheme your company needs to track. Set expiry dates, attach documents, require reference numbers, and get automatic alerts when certifications are about to expire — all from a single dashboard.

Industry Report 2026

The State of Construction Workforce Management

Q: Where does this data come from?

This report aggregates anonymised configuration data from Chime customer databases across the UK construction industry. No company names, personal data, or commercially sensitive information is included — only the skills, trades, and form templates that companies have set up in their Chime accounts.

Real data from 500+ UK construction companies on skills compliance, digital adoption, and the trades powering the industry.

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Construction Companies

Digital Forms Completed

Unique Skills Tracked

Executive Summary

What UK Construction Companies Actually Track

An anonymised analysis of skills, qualifications, trades, and digital forms across the UK construction sector.

Construction is one of the most regulated industries in the UK. Every worker needs the right cards, every site needs the right forms, and every company needs proof that compliance is maintained. But until now, there has been no definitive data on what the industry actually tracks.

This report aggregates real configuration data from Chime's customer base — over 500 construction companies across civil engineering, groundworks, fit-out, M&E, and specialist subcontracting. It reveals which skills, card schemes, trades, and digital forms are most widely adopted, providing an authoritative benchmark for the sector.

Key Findings

CSCS is tracked by 100% of companies — the universal baseline for site access
Manual Handling and SMSTS are the most common training requirements (86% of companies)
Groundworker is the most digitally-managed trade (71% of companies)
Health & Safety forms dominate digital adoption, followed by plant inspection checklists
Over 300,000 digital forms completed across our sample of 14 companies alone
Companies track an average of 80+ unique skills and qualifications

Card Schemes

Which Card Schemes Matter Most

Industry competence card schemes ranked by adoption across UK construction companies.

Card Scheme Adoption Rate

CSCS

Construction Skills Certification Scheme — the UK's largest card scheme. Required for site access on virtually all major projects. Colour-coded by qualification level from Green (Labourer) to Black (Manager).

CPCS

Construction Plant Competence Scheme — proves competence to operate specific plant and machinery. Red cards for trained operators, Blue for competent. Covers excavators, cranes, dumpers, and more.

PASMA

Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association — certification for the safe assembly and use of mobile access towers. Required wherever tower scaffolds are used on site.

NPORS

National Plant Operators Registration Scheme — an alternative to CPCS for plant operator certification. Increasingly accepted on major projects with both Red (trained) and Blue (competent) routes.

Skills Compliance

Top 20 Skills Tracked by UK Construction Companies

Ranked by the percentage of companies that actively manage each skill or qualification.

Rank	Skill / Qualification	Companies	Category
1	CSCS	100%	Card Scheme
2	Manual Handling	85.7%	Safety Training
3	SMSTS	85.7%	Management
4	SSSTS	78.6%	Management
5	Abrasive Wheels	78.6%	Safety Training
6	First Aid at Work	71.4%	Safety Training
7	Face Fit Testing	71.4%	Safety Training
8	CPCS	71.4%	Card Scheme
9	Cat & Genny	64.3%	Safety Training
10	PASMA	64.3%	Card Scheme
11	Fire Marshal	64.3%	Safety Training
12	Traffic Marshall	57.1%	Safety Training
13	Working at Height	57.1%	Safety Training
14	Asbestos Awareness	57.1%	Safety Training
15	Mental Health First Aider	50%	Wellbeing
16	NPORS	50%	Card Scheme
17	Confined Spaces	50%	Safety Training
18	Slinger/Signaller	50%	Plant Ops
19	SEATS	42.9%	Card Scheme
20	Temporary Works Coordinator	42.9%	Management

Safety Training

The Core Safety Training Stack

Beyond card schemes, UK construction companies track a consistent set of safety training courses. Manual Handling tops the list — unsurprising given the physical nature of construction work and the legal requirement under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.

Abrasive Wheels training (79%) reflects the prevalence of angle grinders and cut-off saws on site, while Face Fit Testing (71%) has surged since the construction dust exposure campaigns and RPE requirements.

Notably, Mental Health First Aider appears in 50% of companies — a significant shift from even five years ago, reflecting the industry's growing focus on workforce wellbeing alongside physical safety.

Safety Training Adoption

Digital Forms

What Construction Companies Digitise First

Form template categories ranked by the number of unique templates created across companies.

H&S (14 templates)

Health & safety inspections, permits, risk assessments, and compliance records

Plant Inspection (10 templates)

Pre-use checks and weekly inspections for excavators, dumpers, rollers, telehandlers, and other plant machinery

Quality (5 templates)

Snag reports, plot handover records, and inspection test plans (ITPs)

Onboarding (5 templates)

New starter forms, right to work checks, site inductions, and subcontractor registration

Site Ops (3 templates)

Daily briefings, attendance records, and site logistics

Inspection (2 templates)

Specialist inspections including fire doors and firestopping

Health & Safety forms lead digital adoption by a wide margin, followed by plant inspection checklists. The most common individual templates are snag reports (57% of companies), excavator inspection checklists (43%), and vehicle pre-use checks (36%).

Trades & Roles

The Construction Workforce by Trade

Which trades and roles are most commonly managed through digital workforce platforms.

Top 20 Trades by Company Adoption

Groundworker71.4%

Labourer64.3%

Foreman57.1%

Carpenter57.1%

Engineer57.1%

Site Manager50%

Supervisor50%

Apprentice50%

Plant Operator50%

Machine Driver50%

Contracts Manager50%

Project Manager50%

Traffic Marshall42.9%

Steel Fixer42.9%

Health & Safety Manager42.9%

Construction Manager42.9%

Quantity Surveyor42.9%

Driver35.7%

Plant Fitter35.7%

Crane Operator35.7%

Groundworker is the most commonly managed trade at 71% of companies — reflecting the foundational role groundworks play in every construction project. The trade requires a broad skills portfolio including CSCS, CPCS plant tickets, and streetworks qualifications.

The data reveals a mix of operational trades (Groundworker, Carpenter, Steel Fixer) and management roles (Foreman, Site Manager, Contracts Manager) — indicating that companies use workforce management platforms to track compliance across the entire project hierarchy, not just the workforce on the tools.

Notably, Apprentice appears at 50% — a strong signal that companies are actively tracking the development and progression of their next generation of skilled workers through digital platforms.

148+

Unique Trades

36k+

Workers Managed

Methodology

Data aggregated from anonymised Chime customer databases across the UK construction industry. Skills, trades, and form template names are self-reported by companies configuring their Chime accounts. No company names, personal data, or commercially sensitive information is included. Percentages represent the proportion of companies in the dataset that actively track each item. Name variants (e.g. "CSCS Card" and "CSCS") are normalised and deduplicated.

FAQ

About This Report

Common questions about the data and methodology.

See how Chime tracks all of this — automatically

From CSCS cards to site diaries, Chime manages skills, compliance, and forms for 500+ construction companies. Book a demo to see it in action.