Is the perception of the construction industry changing?

In 2008 the Construction industry was heavily affected by the recession, which resulted in over 140,000 people losing their jobs. Many people have not return to the Construction market, therefore leaving a shortage of skilled tradesman and Construction Managers. In recent years, Construction has slowly started to go from strength to strength even though this was not the career of choice for many people however, a recent survey by the Construction Industry Training Board (CTIB) has shown that this is changing. The CITB recently asked over 1000 young people, 500 parents and 800 careers guidance professionals what they think about the construction industry and the results are very encouraging. There has been a significant shift in perceptions about construction among all of the groups they surveyed.

The survey shows 26% of young people score the sector top marks in attractiveness (a score of 8-10/10) a figure which is up from 13% in 2016 and 3% in 2015. Parents also scored the sector’s attractiveness at 30%, which is higher than in 2016 which saw 24%. Construction and civil engineering were also placed in the top 10 (seventh and eight respectively) from a list of 29 potential career paths young people were asked to consider.   59% of young people asked said they would consider a career in construction; this is a significant increase from 34% in 2016.

So why the shift?

Some of the shift is down to the growth in construction in the last few years but the main reason things are changing is because the sector has been proactive in changing the way it is viewed and what it has to offer as a career.

It has been proactive in launching many initiatives and programmes such as Open Doors, Go Construct and Inspiring Construction which all aim to look at what careers are possible within construction. There is also an ongoing drive of Apprenticeships across the sector giving clear access routes in to the industry.

The industry itself is changing and becoming more attractive to individuals with skills that previously had not been used in construction. With the advent of digitalisation, the growth of offsite construction, and the use of BIM, simulators, drones and robotics it is sparking the interest of more young people.

The Government has committed to building 300,000 new homes each year and the £34 million funding for construction training will be crucial in making this happen. New ways of working and the increase in off-site construction will mean that the skills required will be more diverse than ever attracting people from a broader interest, skills and knowledge base.

The construction industry still has a long way to go in terms of recruiting, developing and retaining its workforce but it is definitely, in the main, going in the right direction.

 So how can NA-Consulting help?

At NA-Consulting we specialise in supporting businesses by working with you and your teams to document systems, processes and ways of working to develop these into either trainer led or eLearning solutions that are used to cross-skill or up-skill your employees.

Our sister brands can also support the construction industry:

Nicholas Associates Construction (NAC) specialise in placing permanent and temporary white-collar professionals within Construction, Residential, Groundworks, Facades and cladding industries. With over 40 years combined experience our consultants can work confidentially with you in order to manage business requirements in professional, cost effective and friendly manner.

The Apprentice Employment Agency (AEA) can help you to recruit the best Apprentices for your business, supporting you in managing them and assisting you in making the most out of your Apprenticeship levy.

Our team at Graduate Talent Solutions (GTS) use their vast knowledge, experience and network to find you Graduates on either and permanent or placement basis to support your business growth.