69% of UK adults would not consider a career in the construction industry, according to online research commissioned by Deconstruction, a not for profit organisation. The research also points to a lingering perception of jobs within the construction sector as ‘dirty, stressful and unsafe’. The YouGov research is based on feedback from more than 2,000 people.
Key findings:
* 25% of respondents perceived the construction industry as unsafe;
* 52% of respondents perceived the sector as dirty;
* 24% of respondents perceived construction industry jobs as stressful;
* 29% of respondents were unlikely to recommend construction as a career path to a young person;
* 70% of respondents indicated that construction industry jobs were strenuous; and
* only 29% of respondents perceived jobs within the construction industry as rewarding.
“If we want to encourage new young people to enter the sector,” said Ryan Jones, founder of Deconstruction, “we need to move past the hi-vis and hard hats image that is the prevailing perception of the industry. Within the sector, we all know that there is so much more to construction, with digital innovation, new technology and many examples of high-quality engineering and building design improving the environment we live in.
“We have to tell that story a new generation. And we have to do it now.”
Speaking about how to tackle negative perceptions of the glazing and fenestration industry, advocates of a series of careers fairs organised by the campaigning firm Building Our Skills, said: “People tend to associate the industry only with manufacturing and installation, but really there are so many more career pathways in the industry, from marketing, IT and customer services through to finance, sales, social media and much more.
“Building Our Skills’ idea to introduce a series of bespoke careers fairs is a great idea. Youngsters can find out more about what the industry is all about and hopefully be inspired to join it.” Read our report about the careers fairs initiative, here.
