We’ve heard for years, if not decades, that a skills shortage within construction is bubbling away in the background like the river of slime that nearly thwarted the Ghostbusters. With recent events (such as Brexit and Global Pandemics) impacting this further, a shortage of people, let alone skilled tradesmen, could hit the industry like a tonne of bricks (pun intended).
Back in 2021 CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) stated that 216,800 new workers needed by 2025 to meet demand. But why has it got to this stage? We can’t simply blame it on ‘old people getting older’... Can we?... No, no we can’t.
Our take on this is three-fold:
1
There is a perception that only dumb people take up a trade (back in the 80s/90s it was always the thickos that went to college or started an apprenticeship and learnt a trade while the rest of us looked to pile up major debt by drinking and studying at a university).
2
When growing up there is very little education on how the world of business works (compared to other subjects such as Science, Geography and History) nor is there enough widespread information explaining how taking up a trade, rather than gaining - in a traditional sense - further qualifications, can lead to running your own successful business (i.e. a qualified electrician who has been educated in this trade from a young age can soon become their own boss and subsequently go on to run a successful business).
3
When we discuss working within construction we only consider the manual or onsite skills and roles and forget about the support services, which cover a multitude of roles you'd find in most industries such as Finance, Marketing, Health and Safety, Design (both building and interiors) Software and Hardware Design and Coding, Project Management, Logistics, Transport, Security, Research and Testing.
With all of this in mind, we want to smash these perceptions and open a dialogue that is helpful and educational. This is why we want to team up with organisations and individuals who are flying the flag for the next generation of construction industry workers.
How are we going to do this?
We’re looking to partner with like-minded organisations and individuals to help build (again, pun intended) the next generation in construction from the very young (those that still have the imagination to be anything they want to be) to the ones looking for employment or deciding on a fruitful career (those that should have the ambition to be anything they want to be).
If you fit this mould and are doing great work in fostering the next generation then we want to hear from you and help you spread the message about the great work you are doing!
I’m Interested (this is a call to action, so action)!
Here are some of our Next Gen Partners and what we’re currently doing:
When I Grow Up: https://www.whenigrowupbook.co.uk/
Aiming to inspire school children and engage with STEM subjects from a young age. When I Grow Up is a book that helps in building an appreciation in young minds that our industry underpins almost everything (there is also a narrated, animated version of the book as well as a BSL (British Sign Language) version).
What are we doing
TBC
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