- New data released for National Careers Week 2025 shows changing attitudes to construction careers amongst young people and parents
- However over a third of young people in Wales say construction not mentioned in careers advice meaning sector is missing out on talent
- Leading construction management body says changes needed if Welsh Government is to hit its social housing targets
- CIOB calls for continued support to encourage uptake of dedicated built environment GCSE, which will soon transition to a VCSE.
Welsh Government plans to accelerate housebuilding, including social housing, and development of key national infrastructure could fall flat if more isn’t done to entice young people into the construction sector, says a new report released this National Careers Week (W/C 3 March).
A recent survey* by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) found two thirds (68%) of young people aged between 16 and 24 in Wales hold a positive view of construction careers and one in five (20%) would consider working in the construction sector, however more than a third of those surveyed (39%) said information about it was not included in the careers advice they received whilst in education. Almost a fifth (18%) don’t believe careers in construction are accessible to young people.
A similar survey** of parents of 16-24-year-olds showed more than three quarters (85%) in Wales would be supportive of their child working in construction with only one per cent saying they’d be unsupportive. Almost half (46%) of parents surveyed in Wales said they’d prefer their child to “earn while they learn” instead of going to university, reflecting concerns over the well-documented rising costs of university education and lack of graduate opportunities.
CIOB has backed Welsh Government’s work on apprentices in the construction sector and has actively supported the creation of degree apprenticeships in Wales. It warns however if construction roles such as site managers, skilled trades, designers, architects and surveyors are excluded from careers advice provided in schools, young people will not take up construction apprenticeships and the skills gap, which is holding back the upturn in construction output on which Welsh Government targets rely, will continue to be a problem.
David Kirby, senior policy and public affairs officer Wales at CIOB, said: “If Welsh 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 in Wales 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’re also calling for continued support for the dedicated built environment GCSE, which will soon transition to a VCSE, as our survey shows a high percentage of young people and parents are still in favour of this course being in the school curriculum.”
Over half of the young people (51%) surveyed in Wales said they’d be interested in studying a built environment GCSE while two thirds (66%) of parents said they’d encourage their children to take this subject were it to be available.
When asked to choose words to describe construction roles, “highly skilled” and “professional” were among the top four selected by the 2,000 young people surveyed across the UK with “working on building sites” and “careers for men” being the other two most preferred options.
However, CIOB’s survey data shows an encouraging trend in young people’s perceptions of the industry including more than one in 10 associating the sector with modern tech-focused roles and describing the sector as diverse.
Kirby continued: “We regularly hear inspiring stories from young people starting out on their construction journeys and love the versatility of the industry as well as how it gives them opportunities to engage with a huge range of people from an array of backgrounds. They also speak about being able to physically see the end product of their work once a construction project completes, and the immense sense of job satisfaction and personal pride that gives them. They feel they’re genuinely making a positive difference to communities and wider society.”
In 2024, it was estimated an extra 11,000 people are needed in the Welsh construction industry to meet anticipated output by 2028, which equates to around 2,200 a year***. However, this number is now expected to be far higher, especially considering the Welsh Government’s plans to build 20,00 social homes during this parliament.
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really nice information