A new early careers initiative supported by government and funded by the CITB levy, has been launched in a bid to make it easier for young people searching for a construction career to join the sector.
The launch of Talentview Construction (TVC) comes in response to forecasts that more than 217,000 new workers will be needed between now and 2025 to support the industry’s current level of activity.
Demand is expected to accelerate as an estimated 500,000 UK-born workers leave the sector in the next 10 years as they come to retirement age.
Despite that, a new survey of young adults looking for work in the UK reveals that just 14% are very confident of finding suitable career opportunities this year and 46% believe it is harder now to find such opportunities compared with before the pandemic.
Just 16% of respondents to the survey said they had received any information about the variety of careers in construction and the built environment when they were at school or college.
Talentview Construction aims to help candidates to browse opportunities by signing up to alerts for job and training opportunities and building their own online profile so employers can find them more easily.
Showcasing construction businesses
Employers can use it to showcase their business to talented new recruits on the TVC site, and upload all their early career vacancies, including traineeships, apprenticeships and graduate jobs. They can also search for suitable candidates and directly contact students and apprentices, as well as connecting more closely with schools, universities and construction colleges.
Talentview Construction is the latest offering from the Construction Talent Retention Scheme (CTRS) which was established by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Construction Leadership Council last summer.
Mark Reynolds, group CEO of Mace Group and the Construction Leadership Council’s lead on skills, said: “More than ever, the industry needs a strong pipeline of talent. Talentview Construction is a window on the industry for all those wishing to enter construction as new entrants and career changers.
“This is exactly what so many businesses have been crying out for, helping them tackle skills shortages and gear up for future growth. Initiatives such as Talentview Construction have the potential to dramatically improve our industry.”
“We must make it easier for people to join our sector to support growth and to improve our levels of diversity – but to do so everyone needs to do more to recruit openly and make flexible opportunities accessible through schemes like this.
“This is exactly what so many businesses have been crying out for, helping them tackle skills shortages and gear up for future growth. Initiatives such as Talentview Construction have the potential to dramatically improve our industry, but we all need to get behind it if it is to be a success.”
Sarah Beale, co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council’s skills workstream and outgoing chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), said: “For anyone not sure of where to go in their career or for anyone who already knows they want to help shape the built environment of tomorrow, construction will welcome you with open arms.
“It’s an industry like no other, with a wide range of opportunities now available in one place – Talentview Construction. This is the place to come to find a route into construction, first jobs and experiences on offer, including apprenticeships and roles to suit everyone – from outdoorsy, practical work-with-your-hands types to technically minded digital experts, environmentally focused designers and engineering enthusiasts as well as people leaders. We need you all.”
