BCIA calls for wider view of BEMS engineer as controls sector faces skills gap

The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has called on the industry to invest in the next generation of engineers, saying the sector must widen its idea of what a building energy management systems (BEMS) engineer looks like if it is to close a growing recruitment gap.

The call follows a panel run by the BCIA Young Engineers Network (YEN) at Smart Buildings Show earlier this month, at which engineers and industry leaders debated the skills the building controls sector will need by 2040.

The BCIA said the challenge for the sector is not only finding enough people but making sure they have the right skills for increasingly connected, data-driven buildings.

Graeme Rees, Interim President of the BCIA and Global EcoXpert Leader - Building Automation & Security at Schneider Electric, said: "Clients want someone who can take something complex, make sense of the data and fix the problem in front of them. That takes curiosity, judgement and good communication as much as technical knowledge."

Rees said demand for smarter, more efficient buildings is only going one way and that the industry does not yet have the people to deliver them. He added that engineers are not being replaced by AI or analytics.

The panel

Josh Steel, Chair of the YEN, chaired the session. The panel included Jen Johnson, MD of learnd UK; John Clarke, Managing Director of One Sight Solutions; Stan Thomas, UK Sales Manager (South) at Sontay and Vice Chair of the YEN; and Rees.

The BCIA said four themes ran through the discussion. People skills still matter, because technology only works when someone understands the customer's problem and can communicate well. Data is only useful if engineers know what the numbers mean and can act on them. Cybersecurity is part of every engineer's role as buildings become more connected. And no one needs to know everything, with teams of different specialisms getting the best results for clients.

Steel said: "The skills gap and the performance gap are the same conversation. You can install the best controls in the world, but you need engineers who can read the data and act on it."

He said the discussion showed the next generation understands what the industry needs, and that the task now is to give them the chance to make a difference.

The workforce figures

The BCIA tied its call to the Construction Industry Training Board's (CITB) latest Construction Workforce Outlook, which it said puts retrofit work among the pressures on demand.

According to CITB, the UK construction industry will need an average of 41,200 extra workers each year between 2026 and 2030. CITB said that equates to 1.6% of the 2025 workforce, or about 206,000 additional workers over the five years, with the workforce forecast to reach about 2.68 million by 2030.

CITB said the industry's capacity to deliver on housing, infrastructure and retrofit commitments is under increasing strain. Tim Balcon, CITB CEO, said the Outlook highlights where construction skills demand is expected to grow.

The network and its leadership

The YEN is aimed at people under 35 working in BCIA member companies and is free to join for their employees, according to the BCIA. It offers CPD sessions, industry talks, project site visits and visits to product demonstration centres.

Steel and Thomas were elected Chair and Vice Chair of the network respectively. On his election, Steel said his aim as Chair was to grow and develop the YEN.

Rees holds the BCIA presidency on an interim basis. The BCIA said its Management Committee considered leadership continuity arrangements at its scheduled meeting on 9 September, and that Rees will serve as Interim President until 1 March 2028, or earlier if President Jen Vickers returns to work and wishes to resume the role. Ron Purcell continues as Vice-President and is due to succeed to the presidency on 1 March 2028.

The BCIA describes itself as the unified voice of the UK building controls industry.

The show

The organiser's website lists Smart Buildings Show 2026 as taking place at ExCeL London on 14-15 October 2026, with four free-to-attend conference theatres. The organiser says the next show will be held on 23-24 June 2027.