The young people construction desperately needs to address the industry’s labour shortage issue are falling through the gap between old careers advice and new government reforms, according to new research from construction management software company Procore Technologies.
Having already moved through school before the government’s new technical pathways for 14–16-year-olds, many of today’s school and college leavers were never shown construction as an option and have little sense of what a modern career in the sector looks like.
Procore’s survey of 1,000 16–20-year-olds across the UK found that just 35% recall construction or a trade being presented as an option in careers guidance at school or college, while a further 17% received no careers advice at all.
More than four in 10 (44%) wouldn’t know where to start if they wanted a career in construction, and almost half (49%) say schools don’t provide enough information about vocational and technical career options.
The survey also found young people have a narrow view of what a career in the construction industry offers. Two in five respondents (41%) didn’t know the industry uses technology such as robotics, AI, drones and VR, however, more than half (51%) said that a role using AI or digital tools would make a construction career appeal more to them – indicating that tech could be an untapped selling point for the industry.
Lee Miles, general manager, EMEA, at Procore, said: “Young people can’t choose a career they’ve never heard of. Most of today’s school and college leavers were never told that construction could be an option for them, and that information gap keeps an outdated view of the industry alive. Modern sites run on drones, robotics and AI, and our research shows that young people would find construction a far more appealing career if they knew more about the technology involved.
“The government’s new technical pathways are a huge opportunity to change that for the next generation, but real progress needs a joined-up effort from educators, policymakers, industry bodies and employers. The industry can’t afford to wait for those long-term changes to deliver results, though. Employers need to reach today’s 16 to 20-year-olds directly, through work experience, visible role models and showing them the technology they would actually use on the job.”
