Construction must revitalise its image to attract new talent

It is no secret that the construction industry urgently needs to attract new talent to address the ongoing skills shortage. According to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), over 250,000 additional workers will be needed by the end of 2028 to meet the expected levels of output.

Deconstruction – a campaign to change the image of construction – has shed some light on how the industry could revitalise its image to bring in new workers. In 2023, Deconstruction commissioned YouGov to produce a report which revealed that 69% of UK adults would not consider a career in construction.  This statistic gets worse when focussing on the younger generations; 77% of students aged 18-24 would never think about working in construction. But, with about 500,000 workers expected to retire in the next 10-15 years, young talent is exactly what the industry needs.

Awareness of opportunities

According to YouGov’s survey, 43% of UK adults did not think the construction industry required workers to have a higher or further education qualification. While there are apprenticeship programmes, Deconstruction commented that this result reflects a “misconception that ‘on-the-ground’ trades, such as electricians, bricklayers, joiners and plumbers do not require a further education qualification”. 

Also, when recipients were asked to pick words that they associate with construction, 70% chose strenuous and 52% said dirty, indicating that many people are thinking only of the opportunities that are available onthe construction site. While contractors are, of course, an essential part of construction, there seems to be a lack of awareness of the breadth of roles available within the industry.  For example, surveyors, engineers and architects are all intrinsic to construction and require very specific qualifications.

Prioritise sustainability

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority of employees, with 40% of Gen Z and Millennials willing to switch jobs due to climate concerns. The construction sector has a significant part to play in meeting the UK’s net zero target, so employers would likely benefit from being transparent about their efforts to reduce their environmental impact. Younger generations might then feel motivated to be part of an industry that is helping to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. 

Keep digitalising

The digital world is constantly evolving, particularly with the rapid development of AI. Understandably, many businesses are tentative to adopt some new technologies, as there is still so much that we don’t know about the capability of artificial intelligence. However, embracing some innovations is essential to attract young talent who are digitally literate, so that they are confident that their job will continue to engage them.