Chartered Institute of Building warns the government’s housing and infrastructure plans could ‘fall flat’ if something is not done on skills
Almost half (47%) of young people who took part in a survey said information about the construction industry was not included in the careers advice they received while in education.
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), which carried out the research, warned that government plans to accelerate housebuilding and development of national infrastructure could ‘fall flat” if more isn’t done to entice young people into the construction sector. The government has pledged to build 1.5m homes over the parliament.
The survey also showed 68% of young people aged between 16 and 24 hold a positive view of construction careers and 31% would consider working in the sector, despite its limited visibility in the education system.
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More than half (53%) of those surveyed said they would be interested in studying a built environment GCSE, while almost two thirds (64%) of parents who took part in a similar survey said they would encourage their children to take the subject if it were available.
David Barnes, head of policy and public affairs at CIOB, said: “If government is to realise its ambition to provide safe and warm homes for all and improved infrastructure, more needs to change to bolster the current construction workforce and develop a pipeline of competent people entering the industry.
“Two thirds of the young people we surveyed have a positive view on the construction sector, but too few were seemingly presented with the industry as a career option while in education, which is most likely why we don’t see those positive perceptions translate into young people joining the sector. This shows us careers advisors have a role to play in championing our industry alongside employers who also should be taking every opportunity to positively promote construction careers.
“We also think having a dedicated Built Environment GCSE would help generate interest in the sector and showcase the vast array of roles available, including non-site-based roles and those using modern technology, and our survey shows a high percentage of young people and parents would be in favour of this.”
The report coincides with National Careers Week and the Chartered Institute of Housing’s launch of its Choose Housing Toolkit on Wednesday. The toolkit will contain resources and action points to help social landlords encourage potential recruits to choose housing as a career, such as talking about opportunities at careers fairs in schools.
In 2024, it was estimated that an extra 251,500 people need to join the workforce to meet anticipated construction output by 2028, equating to roughly 50,300 a year.
However, this figure is expected to be far higher considering the government’s plans to build 1.5 million homes, including several ‘new towns’ in this parliament.
Building Good Employer Guide live is at the Royal Institution, London, 6 March
Join us on 6 March at 4pm for the inaugral Good Employer Guide Live event.
The event has been designed to provide actionable insights, share experiences, and contribute to the conversation about what those in the industry can do to make it a better place to work.
The agenda includes:
• 4.30pm-5.30pm: The skills challenge: How do Good Employers attract and retain talent from the built environment and beyond?
• 5.45pm-6.45pm: The diversity challenge: How do the best employers inspire, manage and measure a changing workforce?
• 6.45pm-7.00pm: Inaugural Good Employer Guide lecture by Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park, brought to you by Gleeds
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