Training and professional gaps in the construction sector in the Canary Islands

The construction sector in the Canary Islands is in a moment of recovery and transformation, marked by a high demand for activity and employment, but also by important structural limitations that condition its capacity for growth and modernization. Construction maintains a strategic role in the economy and territory of the archipelago, both for its impact on employment and for its contribution to key areas such as housing, infrastructure and the rehabilitation of the built park.

Despite sustained demand for labour, the sector faces serious difficulties in attracting and retaining workers. This situation cannot be explained solely by the lack of training, but responds to a combination of factors including the social image of the sector, job turnover, the ageing of the employed population and mismatches between training and real working conditions.

The analysis of the labor market shows that the central problem of the sector is not the absence of employment, but the shortage of people willing to join and remain in construction. Recruitment difficulties affect virtually all professional profiles, from traditional trades to middle and technical management. Likewise, there is a partial disconnect between the initial qualification and the actual performance on site, which forces companies to take on additional adaptation and internal training processes. This increases business costs and limits the sector's ability to respond quickly to productive demand.

The training system linked to the construction sector in the Canary Islands has a wide and diverse offer, but with relevant mismatches in terms of territorial coverage, practical orientation and adaptation to the real needs of the sector. Regulated Vocational Training does not specifically cover many traditional trades, while Professional Certificates, although essential, have a discontinuous schedule. University education provides high-level technical profiles, but requires a greater connection with the reality of the work and a more applied orientation. Overall, the training system needs to be strengthened as the backbone of the sector, moving towards more flexible, modular models adapted to the territory.

The study confirms the existence of significant training and professional gaps in the crafts, middle management and profiles linked to digitalization, energy efficiency and rehabilitation. These gaps do not stem exclusively from a lack of training, but from a structural mismatch between training, employment and work organisation.