UK construction can be quite a daunting industry to enter from a youngster’s point of view. Over the last decade, the majority of youngsters entering the industry do so out of adversity, instead of striving to work within it. So how can the large industry players change its image in order to attract more youngsters into embarking on a career in construction?
Over the years, British educational curriculum has come under increasing pressure to diversify. There have been calls within the construction industry and other hands-on professions to educate children more in basic construction practices in order to entice them into a career. Various BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) and vocational courses have been introduced in response to this, but perhaps the British educational system needs to do more.
On the flip-side, there has been a significant call for large construction companies to play a bigger part in working together with schools, offering more apprenticeships, work placements, and qualifications in order to drum up more interest with kids.
The UK will need a further 150,000 construction workers in order to fulfil housebuilding and commercial infrastructure projects by 2050, to keep up with estimated population growth.
Therefore, in our opinion, the construction industry should be looking to tackle this issue at a more grassroots level.
