Ideas and experiences
The discussion began with an examination of what can be done to attract a broader and more diverse group of people into the construction industry. Our panellists agreed that early engagement is key.
"I think getting out to schools, sixth forms and colleges is crucial" commented Joe Higgins. "When I was doing my A-Levels it was a late decision to get into the construction industry because I didn’t know much about it. Growing up, you can get the impression that it’s a men only industry and it just involves building things on site. As we all know, it’s a lot more complex than that and that needs to be demonstrated better."
"As Joe says, I didn’t really get any understanding of the whole picture of construction until I went to university – you find out a lot more about it and it’s a hell of a lot wider than you realise" said James Layton
Tom Wilson agreed with this assessment: “It wasn’t until I was about 16 I knew what a quantity surveyor (QS) was. Most of my friends left school at that age to get a trade, but I wanted to go to university – that’s when I found out about quantity surveying. It would be much better if there was awareness at a younger age about the opportunities available.”
The need to break down harmful preconceptions about what the industry entails was shared by all participants, with Jordan Ambler highlighting how more can be done to tap into the enthusiasm of STEM students who may not be aware of how their talents can be deployed in the construction industry though aspects such as digital construction and engineering.
Changing the perception of the industry is key, said James Layton: “We need to make construction fashionable and popular – it needs to be something people want to get involved in. There’s got to be that desire from a young age from a broad range of people if we are going to get a more diverse range of people. By the time people are a bit older they may have already decided construction isn’t for them, and we’ll miss out on great people because of that.”
“My first career choice was sports journalism,” said James Speck. “It didn’t work out for me, and a few family and friends within construction explained the many opportunities in the industry and I was able to get myself on a trainee scheme. I wasn’t aware of what was possible when I was younger, but I’m really enjoying my role in the industry now. It’s also satisfying that there’s a clear career trajectory in front of me – that’s a real positive and it isn’t the case in other professions.”
“That’s a great point. It’s a difficult subject to talk openly about, but it’s also worth saying jobs in construction are both rewarding and often well paid. At careers fairs, wages always come up and we shouldn’t shy away from being upfront about it.” said Nick Theos. “There needs to be greater transparency of what is actually involved in the construction process, whether that’s pre-construction, the design work or the use of consultants. Though it’s obviously a really important part of it, it’s not just the site work and we need to convey that.”
“I’d argue that it’s not just about educating children,” countered James Layton. “It’s also about educating parents, and teachers too. They have such a big influence on the route young people take and if we can demonstrate that ours is a good and rewarding industry to work in ultimately everyone will benefit.”
Reflecting this, Danielle Ford explained how entering the industry wasn’t seen as a desirable, academic route: “At school you are taught about how to become a lawyer, how to become an accountant but becoming say, a surveyor, just isn’t talked about.
“I also think that while we need to change the industry’s image, we also need to take a look at what we can do better on day to day basis in how we work. We need to be more innovative and embracing of new technologies.”
Reflecting on this, Lewis Mannion also highlighted his recent involvement at Morgan Sindall Construction’s Horsforth School project in Leeds, which he has been involved with pre-construction work for over a year but is yet to begin work on site: “The amount of people in different job roles that play a part in something like that is staggering, and so many people have a valuable part to play – yet people just don’t fully appreciate the value of those roles.”
The lack of understanding about how projects are delivered is another major misconception, added James Layton: “I probably considered construction be a messy process. When you get on the site of a Tier One main contractor project I think you can be quite blown away by how organised and safe these sites can be. The Considerate Contractors Scheme is vital and a really important way to spread the word about how efficient and safe sites are, and how much social value outputs they can drive.”
In order to counter this apparent lack of understanding, better engagement with schools and colleges is required.
“I’m proud that at Morgan Sindall Construction we do a great job of going into schools and explaining what it’s like to work in our industry, and also arranging for valuable work experience on our sites,” said Nick. “But I don’t think a lot of companies have the same engagement programmes – it’s vital that as an industry we get out to these events and really push our industry to the forefront of young people’s minds.”
Likewise, there also needs to be a clear pathway for training. Jordan used his own experience to illustrate potential problems that may be faced:
“Looking back, there was no bridge from me from finishing my apprenticeship into the next stage, whether that was moving up the ladder or studying at university. Official channels of progression just stopped, and it really came down to the individual. If you don’t want people to fall through the gaps and there needs to be a better framework that can be followed.
“It’s important to get skills and experience form working on site that you can take into management – at the moment, the industry doesn’t seem to join the dots on that. I ended up funding my degree myself and getting a place on a graduate programme before achieving my CIOB chartership – but that was through my own commitment and perseverance. It didn’t feel as though there was a clear path for that and without there being one a lot of people won’t achieve their potential, and the whole industry will suffer as a result.”
“Jordan’s absolutely right,” agreed Danielle. “I paid for my undergrad degree with a student loan, but my employer paid for my masters and it’s such a better way of doing it. I think it would really appeal to sixth form students if they knew they could pair up with a company and work part time and get a degree at the end of it. As we said earlier, it’s important parents and teachers are aware of these options too and they’re given just as much prestige as what are seen as traditional academic courses. It’s a solid route into a rewarding career – I can’t imagine any parent not wanting that for their child.”
James Speck added: “I do think working part time with mixed study is the best way to go. The teaching environment doesn’t give you a full understanding of what goes on at a site – getting work experience on a live construction site is hugely beneficial to both the individual and ultimately their employer and wider industry.”