The business world is evolving at breakneck speed, and for industries like construction and mining, the challenges are hitting harder than ever. Skills shortages, high employee turnover, and project delays are putting immense pressure on leaders to find innovative solutions to remain competitive. How can businesses adapt, thrive, and meet growing demands while ensuring operational efficiency?

Introducing the concept of a shared workforce model.

This forward-thinking approach enables businesses to address resource challenges with agility, share talent across projects or organisations, and maintain efficiency even during fluctuations in demand. It’s not just a remedy for the present but a strategy geared for the future of work. Here’s how the shared workforce model can help solve today’s most pressing workforce challenges and pave the way for a more efficient, future-ready organisation.

Skills Shortages and Their Growing Impact

From Australia’s construction sector to the UK’s infrastructure demands, skills shortages are creating bottlenecks in industries that power economies.

• Australia's Construction Industry

According to Master Builders Australia, the nation requires an additional 130,000 workers this year alone just to address its housing targets. Without this workforce boost, the National Housing Accord’s goals to deliver 1.2 million new homes by 2029 may slip through our fingers.

• UK Construction Needs

The UK faces a similar predicament, with over 250,000 new workers needed by 2028 to meet its infrastructure goals (Financial Times). Despite government and industry efforts to ramp up training and migration programs, timelines for key projects are at risk of significant delays.

Whether it’s booming infrastructure requirements or a rapid increase in housing demand, industries across the globe are experiencing one undeniable truth: transformation isn’t possible without the right talent.

What is a Shared Workforce Model?

The shared workforce model revolves around creating a pool of skilled workers who can seamlessly move between projects, organisations, or even industries. Workers in this model are typically supported with comprehensive training, transferable skills certifications, and accessible credentials, making mobilisation practical and convenient.

It’s a collaborative, scalable approach that reduces downtime and maximises workforce efficiency while ensuring compliance and safety.

The Benefits of a Shared Workforce Model

• Enhanced Flexibility

Businesses operating under a shared workforce can reallocate talent as priorities shift. For instance, demand for skilled labour is seldom consistent across projects or seasons. A shared workforce ensures businesses can pivot quickly, reducing bottlenecks and project delays without having to rely on lengthy hiring processes.

• Cost Efficiency

By sharing resources, businesses can significantly lower overheads associated with recruitment, training, and employee benefits while still having access to the talent they need. This model eliminates the need for constant onboarding for every new project, saving both time and money.

• Risk Mitigation

Economic uncertainty, market fluctuations, or project cancellations often come with significant business risk. A shared workforce can spread this risk by balancing the load across multiple projects or clients, keeping employees engaged while maintaining organisational agility.

Introducing the Skills Passport Revolution

While the shared workforce model provides immense benefits, it also requires a framework where skills and credentials can transfer smoothly between organisations. This is where transferable skills passports become invaluable.

Key Advantages of Skills Passports

• Instant Verification

Skills passports use digital credentials stored securely online, enabling immediate verification of a worker’s qualifications and competencies. This eliminates onboarding delays, ensuring workers can hit the ground running as soon as they’re needed.

• Reduced Redundancy

Repetitive certifications waste resources. With a shared skills passport, a certification is accepted across organisations in the shared workforce network, reducing the need for workers to retake training unnecessarily.

• Improved Compliance

Compliance with industry standards is critical in sectors like mining and construction. Skills passports ensure every individual working under this model is accredited, trained, and compliant with regulatory requirements. This not only reduces risk but also promotes a safer workplace culture.

LAAMP’s Role in Enabling the Shared Workforce

Creativity is often the bridge between challenges and solutions, and this is where LAAMP enters the picture.

Why Choose LAAMP?

LAAMP (Learning and Assessment Management Platform) is designed to support organisations in implementing a shared workforce with tools that streamline learning, credentialing, and workforce mobility. Here’s how LAAMP stands out in advancing the shared workforce model:

• Digital Evidence Capture ensures compliance through robust documentation.

• Facial Verification Technology enhances credibility in skills verification.

• Skills Passports allow workers to carry credentials across organisations and projects.

LAAMP’s ecosystem empowers organisations to manage their workforce efficiently, reducing hiring downtime and providing real-time insights into workforce readiness and compliance.

Transform Workforce Challenges into Opportunities Today

A shared workforce model isn’t just about filling vacancies or managing skills shortages–it’s about future-proofing businesses with agility, efficiency, and collaboration. For business leaders navigating complex labour dynamics, adopting this forward-thinking model supported by platforms like LAAMP can pave the way for sustained growth, reduced overheads, and long-term operational success.

If you’re ready to explore how LAAMP can help your organisation implement a shared workforce model, reach out to our team today. Together, we can redefine the future of work for your industry!

References

• Financial Times. (2025). Who Will Build Britain? Retrieved from FT.

• News.com.au. (2025). Peak Construction Group Says 130,000 Workers Needed This Year. Retrieved from News.com.au.