Campaigners say it would boost safety, address skills shortages, and increase productivity across UK projects.
A major new campaign has been launched calling for digital skills passports to become mandatory on all publicly funded construction and infrastructure projects in the UK.
Backed by a coalition of leading contractors, training organisations, and public sector clients, the “Build Smarter: Mandate the Skills Passport” initiative aims to modernise the construction industry through universal digital verification of worker skills, safety credentials, and competencies.
Supporters argue that making digital construction skills passports a requirement will significantly enhance health and safety compliance, tackle the UK’s growing construction skills shortage, and boost productivity across the sector.
A call for policy leadership
“The technology is here and it’s already being used on some of the UK’s largest projects, what’s missing is policy leadership,” said Paul Devlin, CEO of Causeway Technologies, which is leading the campaign alongside Downtown in Business.
“If we’re serious about modernising construction, this needs to become the industry standard, not just best practice.”
At the heart of the proposal is the Causeway Skills Passport, a digital workforce platform already used by over 900, 000 registered workers across the UK. The system allows employers, contractors, and clients to instantly verify a worker’s qualifications, competencies, and health and safety (H&S) records in real time.
Proven technology already in use
The technology behind the Causeway Skills Passport already underpins some of the country’s most critical digital workforce systems. It powers Network Rail’s Sentinel system, the world’s largest health and safety passport programme, and the Highways Passport scheme, which together provide secure, real-time data on millions of workers in safety-critical environments.
By integrating digital verification into daily site operations, project managers gain a clear picture of workforce capability, compliance, and risk exposure. This allows for better resource allocation, safer site management, and data-driven workforce planning, all critical goals for a sector under increasing pressure to deliver more efficiently.
Accountability and transparency on every site
“If this were agriculture, we’d know exactly which cow produced the milk in your fridge. Why should construction be any less accountable?” added Mr Devlin.
“At the very least, we should know who’s on site, what they’re qualified to do, and whether they’re safe. It’s just common sense.”
The campaign’s message is simple: greater transparency leads to greater safety and efficiency. By adopting a universal digital skills passport, every worker on every publicly funded project could be verified instantly, eliminating the risk of falsified credentials or unqualified personnel on site.
A simple, scalable solution
A formal policy proposal has been submitted to the Cabinet Office, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and the Department for Education, calling for mandatory implementation across the public construction sector.
The campaign will be supported by a series of regional lobbying events, business roundtables, and parliamentary briefings designed to build cross-party support and highlight the operational and safety benefits of digital verification systems.
Frank McKenna, Chief Executive of Downtown in Business, said: “The skills passport is a simple, scalable solution. It doesn’t add red tape; it cuts through it. Mandating it would deliver a safer, more productive construction sector and help tackle the UK’s chronic skills gap.”
Why digital skills passports matter
The call for digital skills verification comes at a pivotal moment for the UK construction industry. With major infrastructure programmes such as HS2, National Highways upgrades, and regional regeneration projects underway, the demand for skilled labour has never been higher.
However, labour shortages, uneven training standards, and fragmented record-keeping continue to hamper productivity and safety performance across the sector.
A national digital skills passport could transform how the industry manages workforce competency, providing:
- Real-time verification of skills, qualifications, and safety credentials
- Enhanced safety assurance through transparent compliance tracking
- Improved workforce mobility between projects and employers
- Data-driven insight for workforce planning and upskilling
- Reduced administrative burden through standardised digital records
Building a safer, smarter future
Mandating digital skills passports across all publicly funded construction projects represents more than a technological upgrade; it signals a shift towards a more accountable, connected, and data-driven construction industry.
With broad support from contractors, training providers, and public clients, the Build Smarter campaign positions digital workforce verification as a cornerstone of the sector’s modernisation agenda.
As policymakers consider the proposal, the message from industry leaders is clear: digital skills passports aren’t a future aspiration, they’re an immediate necessity.
This article was originally posted on Build in Digital_. Click here to visit the page.
