Attracting new talent to the construction industry

There are few industries that offer as diverse a range of career opportunities as construction. Think about it – you can become an engineer, surveyor, architect, electrician, carpenter, project manager, accountant, health and safety specialist, bid writer, IT specialist, gas engineer, HGV driver and a whole host of other roles – without leaving the construction industry.

And yet, according to skills development and training provider City and Guilds, just 6% of young people want to work in construction. This means that, as the current workforce ages, there simply aren’t enough young people stepping into the breach, worsening the skills crisis that has long plagued the industry. In the research, several reasons were given for this finding:

• Young people feel they lack the right skills (34%)
• They are put off by the thought of manual work (35%)
• They lack knowledge about the careers available within the industry (28%).

Another study from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) found that just 21% of people think that construction jobs are well paid – despite average annual earnings being 5.5% higher on average than across all other sectors.

Education, education, education

The answer to all the issues identified in this report is, quite simply, education. Many of today’s young people appear to be labouring under the delusion that construction work is dirty, difficult, unskilled and underpaid. Not only are these perceptions wildly outdated, but they are actively turning younger generations away from an industry that offers well-paid, highly skilled and varied career options.

But what is the industry doing about it?

Current initiatives

There are currently some great schemes offering resources and information to those considering a career in construction:

• The Home Building Federation’s Skills Partnership – this initiative, set up in 2016, works to attract and develop the workforce of the future and in so doing change the culture of the home building sector
• The Construction Industry Training Boards Go Construct platform – this website is packed with information, videos and case studies around careers in construction.

But what about those who are put off by common misconceptions about construction and aren’t seeking out these kinds of resources? Well, here are some of the firms and industry bodies leading the way in outreach programmes to inform and educate young people about the realities of construction work and busting those persistent myths that often deter young people.

• Wilmott Dixon – this nationally recognised construction organisation won the ‘Excellence in Outreach’ award at this year’s Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards. The firm’s social value team works to motivate the next generation to enter the construction sector and offer positive role models for those they empower.
• Henry Brothers – this leading construction firm has links with schools and universities in its birthplace of Northern Ireland, where it works to educate students and young people about the industry and its varied specialities, in addition to teaching early practical skills.
• Women in Property – this network runs events, workshops and outreach programmes across the UK to encourage young women into construction careers.

Are things changing?

There is no doubt that there is some excellent work taking place across the industry to overturn negative perceptions of construction work and encourage younger generations to take up desperately needed roles across the sector. And, positively, these initiatives do seem to be turning the tide in the right direction.

In a recent report, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) said that it had seen a 45% increase in the number of people seeking information about a career in construction, with over a million visits to its Go Construct portal in the first three months of 2023 alone. Even more positively, a third of users were under the age of 18, whilst another third were female.

Keeping up the momentum

It is clear that construction still suffers from an image problem – but things are moving in the right direction. It will take continuing hard work, collaboration and investment from industry players and government alike to close the skills gap and move the construction industry into a brighter and more stable future.