Workforce Development for Sustainable Built Environments: A Systematic Review of Skills Gaps, Training Deficiencies, and Strategic Pathways in the Green Construction Industry

Abstract

This systematic review examines workforce development challenges linked to the transition towards sustainable built environments. The review focuses on skills gaps, training deficiencies, and strategic pathways in the green construction industry, where sustainability targets increasingly require competencies in energy efficiency, smart building systems, renewable energy integration, digital construction and green certification. A structured literature search was conducted across academic databases, government sources, and industry repositories to identify publications from 2022 to 2025. Thirty-four sources were selected using defined inclusion criteria and analysed thematically in relation to workforce shortages, competency requirements, training approaches, access barriers and policy responses. The synthesis indicates that the development of the green construction workforce is constrained by both quantitative labour shortages and qualitative skills gaps. The most prominent gaps relate to system integration, energy performance assessment, green building certification, digital construction technologies and renewable energy systems. Training barriers include cost, geographical inequality, fragmented curricula and limited institutional capacity to update programmes in response to technological change. Evidence from the reviewed literature suggests that coordinated action is required across vocational education, specialist certification, industry-academia partnerships, digital and immersive training approaches, continuous professional development, and inclusive recruitment. The review concludes that sustainable built-environment delivery depends on integrated workforce planning that links policy requirements, training systems, and industry demand.