Construction 's 'dirty ' image a barrier to solving skills shortage - survey
A new survey by UK Construction Week Birmingham has revealed that those who work in the industry believe better school careers advice and improving the sector 's 'dirty ' image are key steps to resolving the current skills gap in construction.
Ahead of the three-day show at the NEC on 4 October, the survey polled more than1,100 people across the sector, including architects, engineers, housebuilders, installers, joiners, contractors and consultants.
It found over a quarter (26 per cent) of respondents felt the solution to fixing the skills gap was 'better career advice at school/college to paint a more attractive picture of construction to young people', while 24 per cent said the answer was 'a long-term strategy to attract and retain talent, not just a short fix'.
Key barriers to young people pursuing a career in construction were seen as the industry being perceived as 'dirty job ' (23 per cent), lack of careers advice (19 per cent), and the sector being seen as male-dominated (15 per cent).
When asked what the construction industry workforce will look like in 2050, the most popular responses included 'a more diverse/female workforce '; 'more use of AI ', 'increase in mechanisation/robotics ' and 'it will be more lucrative and attractive to graduates '
Meanwhile, 84 per cent of respondents said flexible/hybrid working was now an option in their role, with the key reasons for the 16 per cent who don 't have that flexibility being 'not practical - we need to be on site at all times ' (52 per cent), 'the directors do not like it ' (18 per cent) and 'it 's never been discussed ' (16 per cent)
Nathan Garnett, UKCW Birmingham 's event director said: “Our survey not only highlights the challenge, but it also illustrates the variety and truly rewarding nature of being part of the built environment - a message we will get across loud and clear. ”
West Midlands mayor Andy Street, a guest speaker at the event, said: “Many of our young people - and indeed local job seekers of all ages - have recognised that joining this industry can offer an exciting, practical and well paid career path for those willing to grasp the opportunity.
“However, it 's clear from the survey that we have more work to do to change perceptions and highlight the positive side of this booming sector which will shape the West Midlands for many years to come.
“I hope to play my part in fostering interest in construction - working together with the industry and other bodies like CITB - not only to connect local residents with great jobs but also to alleviate the skills shortage in the sector which is essential if we are to reach our full potential. ”
This year UKCW Birmingham is expecting around 25,000 attendees, will officially be opened by Channel 4 presenter George Clarke.
Celebrating culture change in the construction industry with an exciting programme of debate and discussion from top speakers, the show will also shine a spotlight on over 6,000 products from more than 300 exciting exhibitors.
Visitors will also be able to find sections dedicated to Net Zero, Building Materials, Digitalisation, Infrastructure, Surface & Materials, Offsite Construction, and Skills & Careers.
Register for free at UKCW Birmingham registrations.