With more than 20 years of experience in construction Mark Tomlin is a proud supporter of Construction United, frequently speaking on industry issues to raise awareness and promote change.

t’s a well-known fact that the construction industry is currently facing a skills shortage. This is about far more than the inconvenience of slight delays on site, but is an issue which can result in the postponement of major projects. Magnified by the number of ambitious plans underway to increase the country’s available housing stock, and to create substantial new transport links such as HS2, there’s a pressing need for the sector to find the manpower to carry out all of this work.

As with any industry, public perception plays a large part in the amount of recruits that construction attracts. For instance, some sectors are naturally more attractive to young people, particularly traditionally prestigious roles such as law or medicine.

There are a variety of reasons for this, and while some of the motivation may be financial, it’s also common for students to study the subjects which they enjoy the most, or excel in, and decide on their future career based on that, rather than their prospective occupation dictating how they spend their time at college or university.

Of course, as well as the academic route, apprenticeships are a common method of entry into the industry, and have resulted in the training and qualification of many skilled workers over the years, but as Government statistics show that the number of apprentices fell from 9060 to 8030 from 2012/13 to 2013/14, there’s clearly a lot of work to be done to not only increase the number of people in the industry, but to keep them there.

While it’s important to put plans in place, it’s vital to know what the ‘start point’ is. With that in mind, Construction United – a new initiative made up of a group of companies and charities looking to tackle issues in the industry – commissioned a YouGov survey of 2000 GB adults to find out exactly how the public views the construction industry, and the results were surprising.

Public perception

While it’s known that construction may not hold the allure of some industries, the scale of the public’s disinterest is significant. Of those surveyed, 67% stated that they would never consider a career in construction, while only 17% said that they definitely would.

So, what is it that’s keeping so many people away from working in the sector? The words/phrases that those questioned associate with construction certainly help to clarify this, with 68% stating that construction work is ‘strenuous’, 58% saw it as ‘dirty’ and only 11% felt that the industry is ‘exciting’.

For an industry that needs to attract an estimated 100,000 workers to cope with the country’s infrastructure demands alone – according to the Government’s National Infrastructure Plan for Skills report – this reputation isn’t particularly encouraging.

Clearly, something needs to be done to change these views, and the construction industry needs to come together as a whole if it’s going to make a substantial impact. With that in mind, initiatives such as Construction United are bringing together companies from across the sector, including engineering firms, main contractors and distributors, to tackle the problem at its heart.

Just think of when most people see the work that we do. It isn’t during the planning stages, and most people won’t be aware of what goes on behind the scenes in offices across the country. In fact, the majority of construction work that they will encounter is at the execution stage, with roadworks, rail maintenance and residential construction being viewed more as an inconvenience due to the delays and noise associated with these works, rather than for the long-term benefits that they provide.

To make a lasting change, two approaches need to be taken. Firstly, we have to speak directly to the construction workers of the future, with industry experts reaching out to schools and colleges to speak to young people to let them know about the opportunities available, and the paths that they can take to secure these roles. By taking this individual, one-on-one approach, real connections can be established with these prospective workers, rather than washing over them with corporate messaging.

Secondly, companies throughout the industry need to make the results of their hard labour visible to the public. All too often, announcements by construction firms focus on the negatives, apologising for delays or inconvenience. In contrast, we should be explaining to the public why these delays are taking place, and the long-term benefits that construction work can provide, whether it’s affordable new housing for the region or reduced commuting times.

By simply engaging more with the population, the sector can begin to change public opinions for the better, in turn improving its appeal and increasing the number of potential new recruits available.

In recognition of this approach, Construction United will be working with its official partner organisations to increase the amount of pride taken in the construction industry, culminating in a week of awareness-raising events from 17th to 23rd October.

Each event will focus on one of the campaign’s three key areas: encouraging new careers in construction, raising awareness of the work done in the industry, and showing the caring and collaborative nature of the sector, with the overall aim of improving how it is perceived.

This isn’t a simple task, and we can’t just sit back and wait for somebody else to take care of it for us. If we want to see some real, lasting change, then everyone involved in the industry needs to take pride in their work, and let others know about it.

To show the country the work you do, and represent construction in its true light, sign up to Construction United by visiting the website.