The project manager shortage in the UK – or is it a  confidence gap?

The project manager shortage is not new news. If you look closely, recruiters are advertising plenty of vacant roles, even though the UK job market may feel tough for many people. SME engineering, procurement and construction businesses continue to feel the pressure to deliver with limited capacity. Perhaps the problem is that more people need to formally train in project management skills? Or is it more likely that people who already have those skills and are using them, aren’t in roles that are defined as ‘project management? Or is it that people who are developing those skills don’t have the confidence (yet) to step up into project leadership positions? 

There are gaps in project teams, and at the same time, the expectations placed on project professionals are shifting. Technical expertise is no longer enough on its own. Power skills, once called soft skills, like strong communication, better organisation of work, and clearer navigation through complexity, are now essential to keep projects moving.

But there is a deeper question which we wanted to explore. Are we truly facing a shortage of project managers, or are we seeing a gap in confidence, capability, and support that is being misinterpreted as a supply problem?

Is the project manager shortage UK-based – or is it a wider skills and confidence problem?

There is clear evidence that demand for skills is rising. According to the Make UK Shape of British Industry 2026 report, 99% of manufacturers say access to skills will shape their future growth, and 30% cite skills shortages as their biggest barrier to growth. At the same time, infrastructure investment is expected to increase significantly following the June 2025 UK Government publication, UK Infrastructure: A 10-Year Strategy, driving demand for more people in project-led delivery environments.

Recruitment data in construction supports this trend. The construction and engineering sectors are already reporting a growing need for experienced project professionals and quantity surveyors, particularly those who can manage commercial stakeholders, allocate resources effectively, and maintain delivery momentum in complex environments. One significant challenge is the ageing workforce, with around 25 to 30% of UK construction workers now aged over 50. 

In parallel, the Project Management Institute (PMI) careers data estimates that 2.3 million people will be needed each year to fill project management-related roles worldwide through 2030, highlighting the scale of demand across industries.

On the surface, this clearly supports the narrative of a shortage of project managers in the UK.

However, within project-based SME engineering teams we work with, a different reality often emerges. Many organisations already have individuals who are working without specific project roles or titles. Yet they are coordinating work, managing timelines, and interacting with clients from a technical perspective, often without the support of a dedicated project manager or the training to become a project leader themselves. It’s no great surprise that outcomes are sometimes inconsistent and systems aren’t used as intended. Projects falter, communication breaks down, and leaders lose confidence in the delivery teams. Pressure rises even though everyone is doing their best to cope and be responsive to change.

This suggests the issue may not simply be a lack of people, but a gap between knowledge, systems, application of both, and confidence to officially step into the role. And if the individual does have formal project training, there are additional reasons they might find it challenging.

Why do some project managers struggle in live delivery environments?

Formal qualifications such as APM or PMI provide a solid foundation for project managers. They introduce structure, governance, and a shared language for delivery. However, they don’t fully prepare individuals for the reality of running complex projects. Newly qualified project managers may have moved from an engineering or technical role, and then often find themselves responsible for aligning teams, managing competing priorities, and making resourcing decisions with incomplete information. They understand the theory but applying it under pressure requires a different level of judgement and confidence.

This is where many begin to struggle, and not usually due to a lack of effort. Most project managers are working hard, often too hard, under a lot of stress. The challenge lies in redirecting that effort into systems and processes which support them. Without the right systems and confidence in their role, individuals tend to overcompensate. Communication becomes reactive rather than intentional. They attend more meetings, respond to everything immediately, and try to stay on top of every detail. Forward navigation of the project becomes unclear, and the rest of the teams slip into short-term thinking, too. 

Pausing to clarify systems and structure helps them grow in confidence and reduce the stress and hours they’re putting in. Over time, a strong project culture creates the conditions to avoid burnout and inconsistency and deliver real progress.

How the confidence gap shows up

Much of what is described as a project management skills gap is, in practice, a confidence gap. Project managers may understand what needs to be done but hesitate to act decisively. They may avoid or dread difficult stakeholder conversations, delay escalating risks, or fail to challenge unrealistic expectations.

This affects how resources are used across projects. Work is sometimes duplicated if two people spot the same issue, priorities compete, and opportunities for improvement or commercial gain are missed because no one feels confident enough to make quick decisions and push them forward.

At the same time, leaders may interpret this hesitation as a lack of capability. This reinforces the perception of a shortage and drives further recruitment, rather than development.

In reality, many teams are operating below their potential. The capability exists, but it is not being fully activated. This challenge is not limited to project managers. There is often a disconnect at leadership level around what effective project delivery requires, in terms of support and championing a rational, realistic planning approach.

Leaders are focused on outcomes, timelines, and financial performance. However, they may not always see the underlying dynamics affecting delivery, especially when multiple suppliers deliver to a single end-client. Limited communication between stakeholders, unclear organisation of work, and fragile navigation between interdependencies can quietly erode performance.

In many SMEs, project managers are expected to “step up” once qualified. Development becomes informal, and support is limited. When performance dips or people leave, the response is often to recruit more people rather than strengthen the system. This approach increases cost without necessarily improving outcomes.

A more effective approach is to look at how projects are being run day-to-day. Are teams communicating clearly? Are resources aligned to priorities? Are opportunities within projects being identified and acted upon? Is there a clear sense of direction, or are teams constantly reacting? 

These questions often reveal what the issues really are and how effectively that capacity is being used. Having a view from across many clients and different kinds of projects enables us at Coron to help you identify solutions faster.

Rethinking the shortage: from headcount to capability

Where it may seem like the shortage of project managers UK is the largest issue, we don’t want to oversimplify and apply generic solutions when working with clients. Yes, demand for project skills is increasing. Yes, competition for experienced professionals is real. But focusing only on recruitment overlooks a significant opportunity within existing teams, which is why we explored project manager development in a recent article. Qualifications are only the starting point. Real capability builds through reflection and support within live project environments.

Many organisations already have the people they need. What they often lack is structured support to help those individuals develop confidence. As highlighted in Coron’s insight on improving project team performance, consistent delivery depends on more than individual effort. It requires alignment across how teams communicate, how work is structured, how resources are deployed, and how decisions are made.

Building project confidence 

If the challenge is partly a confidence gap, the solution must go beyond traditional training. Project managers need opportunities to apply their knowledge in context, with support and room to fail yet get help when they do. They need space to reflect on decisions, become aware of how they communicate, and build trust in their own skills and judgement.

Coaching-led development is one way to achieve this. It focuses on real challenges rather than theoretical scenarios. It helps individuals understand not just what to do, but how to do it in their specific environment. When project managers are clearer in their thinking, teams spend less time firefighting and more time delivering. Opportunities within projects are more likely to be identified and acted upon. Over time, this leads to more consistent performance and reduced pressure across the whole business.

The demand for project professionals is unlikely to slow down while there’s investment in infrastructure, and clients’ supply chain complexity will continue to shape the landscape. However, one solution is to adopt a more sustainable approach that focuses on strengthening the capabilities and confidence of existing teams. That way, we can recognise it as a project manager development and confidence opportunity. In many cases, the capability is already there, and your team just needs the right environment for that to surface.

Explore how Base Camp can help or contact us.

FAQs – where did this information about the project manager shortage in the UK come from?