Thought Leadership: Chris Founds, Founds Group
In early summer the Government’s commitment of £15 billion to UK infrastructure, part of its 10-Year Infrastructure Plan, was more than a fiscal pledge – a bold signal of intent. From modernising transport networks to climate-resilient development, their ambition is clear: drive long-term growth, revitalise communities and build a future-ready Britain.
But for those on the front lines of delivery – local authorities, highways and transport teams, placemaking and planners – the view is more complex. The investment, while welcome, has arrived with a familiar challenge: high expectations, limited in-house capability, a need to be innovative within risk adverse organisations and a growing urgency around digital and sustainable transformation. As the spotlight turns from promise to performance, a fundamental question arises: How can the public sector teams deliver on this vision — and do so with confidence, consistency and resilience?
The Numbers Tell a Nuanced Story
While £15bn makes for strong headlines, it translates to just a 2.6% increase in day-to-day local authority budgets. It’s a meaningful gesture, but not a game-changer. Local government is being asked to do more – and do it faster – in an environment that’s increasingly defined by complexity.
Sustainability targets, net-zero commitments, digitalisation demands, the need to be innovative along with public scrutiny are pushing delivery teams to operate at the edge of their capacity and in some instances, their capability. Infrastructure today is no longer just roads and bridges – it’s data-led planning, predictive maintenance, smart mobility and green design. The sector has evolved, but the workforce support and structures in which they operate has not kept pace. The skills gap between technology understanding and application even between entry level graduates and middle to senior managers – is widening daily !
A Tipping Point for Public Sector Capability
This investment arrives at a critical juncture. With devolution accelerating, local authorities are assuming greater responsibility for funding and delivery. Yet access to strategic skills and specialist talent remains inconsistent across regions. This imbalance risks entrenching inequality, where success is determined not by need or vision, but by local capability and will overall create a major barrier to economic recovery that the funding is intended to achieve.
Nowhere is this more evident than in digital infrastructure. The ability to adopt collaborative NEC contracts, harness AI technologies, or embed smart asset management depends on skilled, confident teams with the motivations and capacity to deliver outside of their day job. To clarify this doesn’t apply everywhere in every Council – with some Authorities trying to bridge the gap through knowledge sharing with neighbours and through industry bodies such as LCRIG and ITS-UK, UKTIN and TechUK; but many councils lack both the internal expertise, funding and the external support to upskill at scale.
A New Model for Skills Development
It’s clear that short-term fixes won’t suffice. What’s needed is a strategic, long-term approach to enable workforce resilience – one that recognises skills development as core infrastructure. The normal approach is no longer sustainable; there is a need to utilise industry best practice and share knowledge to meet demand.
This is where initiatives like the launch of Founds Skills and Training Academy come in. With over 30-years executive-level experience across both public and private sectors and operating as an independent small business for the last ten-years, we aim to share our expertise in the convergence of digital infrastructure and highways technology underpinned by a trustworthy reputation. Founds Academy will be specifically tailored and for the Local Authority Highways sector, empowering public sector teams with the latest knowledge, sharing tools, techniques and building confidence to deliver effectively. From mastering the latest NEC developments to navigating digital innovation, it’s about equipping and motivating people with the skills they need today and preparing them for the challenges of tomorrow. We can start by bringing cohorts together to share a journey and each other’s experiences.
But this is just the start. Building enduring capability will require partnership – between central and local government, between training providers and public sector leaders, and across regional networks. It means ensuring digital and sustainability competencies are embedded across every role, not tacked on as afterthoughts. And it calls for collaborative frameworks that allow councils to share innovation, reduce duplication, and accelerate adoption and will be aligned to the work and insights with LCRIG and ITS UK.
Workshops for Founds Academy will be available to book from Autumn 2025 and will be launched at LCRIG Strictly Highways Event followed by Highways UK.
Beyond Budget Lines: Building Strategic Delivery
Ultimately, the value of the £15bn infrastructure investment will be judged not by how much is spent, but by how wisely it is spent – and how effectively it delivers for communities. That requires more than money. It requires talent, training, leadership, and a system-wide commitment to building public sector capability.
If we’re serious about turning infrastructure into impact, then we must treat workforce development as the engine room of national transformation. Because bricks and steel may build structures – but it’s people who build progress.
Launching Founds Academy
I am proud to announce that we have launched Founds Academy, a dedicated training and skills platform and portal designed to equip organisations, local authorities, and industry professionals with the knowledge and capabilities needed to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
Building on Founds Group’s track record of delivering digital infrastructure, highways, transport and placemaking programmes, the Academy has been created to bridge critical skills gaps and accelerate the adoption of new technologies, management approaches and cultural change across the public and private sectors.
Founds Academy launches with three programme groups, each carefully designed to address today’s most pressing business and sector challenges:
- Contracting and Projects
Mastering NEC Contracts
Strategic Commercial Acumen
Project Management Essentials - People & Performance
High-Impact Collaboration
Developing a Performance Culture
Future-Ready Leadership (Senior Leaders Alumni) - Tech, Funding & Growth
Q-GIS and Data Fundamentals
Successful Funding Strategies
Sales & Work Winning Mastery
From practical training in NEC contracts and funding strategies, to leadership development and digital adoption, the Academy is designed to strengthen in-house capabilities, improve organisational resilience, and deliver long-term value to communities.
You can register your interest by visiting foundsgroup.co.uk/academy or emailing [email protected] for more information.