The construction industry received a major wake-up call when, earlier this year, the number of vacant positions in the sector passed 40,000. Whilst a number of recent external, and systematic, challenges have contributed to this concerning figure, I believe the current downward trend is beginning to level out, writes Chris James, Civils Team Leader independent civil and structural engineering consultancy Perega.
There are plenty of indications of a recruitment recovery on the horizon, particularly in the civils sector, and much of it is being driven by changing attitudes amongst young Brits.
According to an NBS study, published in August 2022, over 50% of 18-29-year-olds polled now regard construction as an ‘attractive’ career, with engineering as a preferred profession. It all indicates perceptions are shifting, with the prospect of fresh blood entering the industry to mitigate the current pressures of an ageing workforce and less access to skilled foreign labour.
However, getting to this situation has not been a simple process. Extensive work has been undertaken within the sector to showcase the construction industry’s potential to Britain’s impressionable graduates and school leavers.
A variety of targeted campaigns have been developed over the past decade, and we’re now seeing the fruits of that labour come to fruition, most recently, Future Made. Launched in 2020, the scheme provides the next generation of built environment professionals with fresh role models, encouraging young people who are forging successful careers in the construction industry to share their experiences.
Career Potential
Using social media as the primary engagement tool, Future Made has reached over two-thirds of 14-18-year-olds in the UK, warming them up for a potential career in construction.
Organisations like the Construction Youth Trust have been operating for a longer length of time, and their contribution has been just as crucial to igniting interest. Significantly, it’s promoted a more diverse and inclusive workforce, making construction and civil engineering more appealing to a wider audience. By bridging the gaps across more marginalised and disadvantaged groups within society, it’s demonstrating how inclusive and accessible the industry has become.
Going further, more direct outreach by businesses themselves has been imperative to reset the narrative and correct sector disparities. At Perega, we have collaborated with the local education system and communities, encouraging engineers at every level of the company to take an active part. Furthermore, this universally inclusive strategy makes the process more relatable to our audience, helping to paint a picture of the path to success. It helps to highlight not only where potential, ambitious, and impressionable prospects might go, but also how to get there.
Despite there being some way left to go, the industry is working tirelessly to recruit more home-grown talent, especially those who may yet be undecided on what their professional future holds. Nevertheless, there’s still room to ramp up our efforts, particularly during this tough economic climate.
Skills Based Education
A quick, and effective way to accelerate activity and achieve successful results, is to start being more vocally supportive of skills-based education. Comparable to NVQs and A-Levels. This includes initiatives like Youth Training Schemes. Additionally, apprenticeships, which provide the necessary educational preparation and crucial real-world experience, ought to be maintained, enhanced and encouraged. This can go a long way to safeguarding the future of the civils community, and the wider construction sector overall.
All this only scratches the surface. Ultimately, if we step up the process now, we can guarantee that the majority of these available roles, especially in civil engineering, are filled as soon as possible.
We have a tremendous opportunity to preserve the legacy of construction and civil engineering, from the highest level of governance to specific businesses and practices. So while there is increasing interest from Britain’s youth, let’s capitalise on it.
