Hercules seeks to plug ‘critical’ Scottish labour gap with new office

Hercules has expanded into Scotland with a new office in Motherwell as it seeks to address “critical” labour shortages across the country’s construction and infrastructure sectors.

The company, which supplies technology-enabled labour to major UK projects, said the “strategic” move would allow it to work more closely with existing clients and support new demand in the region.

Scotland’s construction output reached £16.7bn in 2024 and is forecast to grow by 2 per cent annually, Hercules said in a London Stock Exchange announcement today (3 December), with the sector workforce expected to increase to 214,500 by 2029.

But the Scottish construction sector faces a persistent labour shortage with an estimated 3,590 additional workers required each year to meet demand, the firm added.

Hercules said it would recruit for site-based and office roles, and invest in apprenticeships, digital onboarding and skills training to create a sustainable labour pipeline in Scotland for long-term projects such as highways, energy transmission and water infrastructure.

Chief executive Brusk Korkmaz said: “Scotland stands at the forefront of the UK’s growth in renewables, transport and civil engineering, but it faces a critical shortage of skilled labour.

“Our mission is to bridge that gap, delivering not just people, but pre-trained, safety-focused teams who are ready to make an immediate impact on major projects.”

Korkmaz added that Hercules was committed to working with local communities, contractors and public bodies to support infrastructure delivery, economic growth and net-zero goals.

Sources: Hercules announcement