Construction careers increasingly popular among young people, research shows

Young people say jobs in construction are among their top five career choices, as a result of companies in the sector engaging with schools and colleges.

A survey of 100,000 young people by the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), the national body for careers education, shows that by the time students are doing their GCSEs (Year 11), construction is one of the top job choices, along with creative and media, healthcare, business and finance, and engineering.

In contrast, when students start secondary school (Year 7) sports, creative, working with animals, and beauty are the most popular career paths. 

Further research among the business community by CEC shows 97% of construction companies say working with schools and colleges is helping develop new talent pipelines and encouraging young people to take up careers in the sector.

More than four in five (87%) say this engagement is helping to close skills gaps, with 91% insisting that it is also boosting recruitment for jobs and apprenticeship roles. 

According to the research, 84% say it is helping to improve the diversity of their workforce.

The survey also highlights wider business benefits from the work construction companies are doing with young people in education:

Oli de Botton, CEO of the CEC, said: “Many construction companies are now leading the way working in the education sector to help develop the talent they need. 

“Getting young people ready for work involves building skills with rigour and with the help of employers.

“More and more businesses are getting involved in education and getting in early. For an increasing number, recruitment now starts in Year 7.”

He added: “Modern careers education brings employers and educators together – giving young people a direct line of sight into work and helping employers understand their future workforce.  

“When we get this right, we have a skills agenda that works for business and young people.”