THE construction sector needs an ‘urgent’ rebrand due to a ‘growing’ image problem, Deconstruction has said.
YouGov was commissioned by the not-for-profit organisation, which seeks to improve the image of the sector, to survey more than 2,000 members of the public on the industry.
The research found that 68% of adults in Scotland would not consider a career in the sector, with 69% saying the same in the rest of the UK. Furthermore, 77% of full-time students between the ages of 18-24 stated they would also not consider a career in the sector.
The research also found that the wider perception of jobs within the sector is that they are ‘dirty, stressful, unsafe sector to work in’, and the major UK sector least likely to require highly educated individuals as members of the workforce.
Some key findings from Scotland in the research include: 50% perceived the sector to be dirty; 67% perceived the jobs to be strenuous; 36% perceived the construction industry to be one of the least likely industries to require workers educated to a higher level of education when shown alongside other key industries such as healthcare, charity and finance; 28% perceived construction to be rewarding compared to the UK-wide figure of 29%.
Recent estimates from the CITB see the sector needing 225,000 additional workers to meet UK construction demand by 2027 (45,000 workers per year). This will take the total to 2.67 million workers in construction industry by 2027 if projected growth is met, Deconstruction said.
Ryan Jones, founder of Deconstruction, said, “Construction’s dirty secret is its poor reputation, perception and image blocking the desire for people to enter the sector. With construction and the built environment being at the heart of some of the biggest challenges facing the country, from housing supply, actual stock of good homes and fit for purpose buildings, to meeting the climate challenge with net zero commitments, it is alarming that only 3% of the general public feels that construction is the most important when presented alongside other sectors such as healthcare.
“If we want to encourage new young people to enter the sector, 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, but we have to tell that story a new generation, and we have to do it now.”
