A recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) found almost three quarters (74%) of young people aged between 16 and 24 in Scotland hold a positive view of construction careers and more than a third (36%) would consider working in the construction sector, however, almost half of those surveyed (43%) said information about it was not included in the careers advice they received whilst in education.

A similar survey of parents of 16-24-year-olds showed more than three quarters (77%) in Scotland would be supportive of their child working in construction with only eight per cent saying they’d be unsupportive. Over a third (39%) of parents surveyed in Scotland said they’d prefer their child to “earn while they learn” instead of going to university, reflecting concerns over the rising cost of living concerns for students and their parents and a lack of graduate opportunities.

While Scottish Government’s ambitious plans for decarbonisation and housing are clearly much needed, CIOB says 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. As a result, the skills gap, which is holding back the upturn in construction output needed to meet the Government’s targets, will continue to be a problem.

Jocelyne Fleming, senior policy and public affairs officer for CIOB in Scotland, said: “If Government is to realise its ambition to provide safe and warm homes for all and move towards net zero, more needs to change to bolster the current construction workforce and develop a pipeline of competent people entering the industry.

“Three quarters of the young people we surveyed in Scotland 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.”

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”.

Fleming 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.” 

Brooke Stein, 24, a graduate pre-construction manager in Glasgow, explained: “I like that my construction job uses my different skills such as maths, science and communication and because the industry is dynamic and constantly evolving it makes the work remarkably interesting and exciting.

“The projects you contribute to can leave a long-lasting positive impact on the communities you work within that gives a real sense of purpose to what you do day-to-day. Hopefully in years to come I’ll be able to drive along a road or enter a building that I helped to create.”

Recent reporting from Skills Development Scotland noted supply challenges have worsened across the country and vacancies have become harder to fill, with recent figures from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) estimating 5,220 new entrants will be needed in Scotland annually between 2024 and 2028 to meet workloads.