Construction professionals are well aware of the challenges the sector faces in filling skills gaps and replacing workers who are retiring. The need, as documented by CITB, to recruit an extra 41,200 workers a year until 2030 to meet growing industry demand is daunting.
CIOB’s own research into the attitudes of young people and their parents reflects some strong headwinds – 45% of young people said that construction careers were not covered in careers advice they had received, and 44% of parents felt underinformed about modern career options for their children.
While the national challenges may seem overwhelming, the solution may be to “act local”. Simply getting young people through the doors of a local construction site or workplace can be the first step they need to get them started on a career in construction.
Open Doors, delivered by Build UK with the support of CIOB and other partners across the construction sector, has a proven track record of recruiting the next generation, with the chance to go behind the scenes and see the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry.
In 2026, more than 6,500 visitors attended 240 Open Doors events across the UK, with 81% saying they were more likely to consider a career in construction after their visit. Open Doors will be back in March 2027, with a more flexible format allowing events to be held throughout the month for the first time.
Get involved
Success depends on the whole industry taking part. The Open Doors website is now live for registering events, and we’re calling on organisations across the sector to get involved, including CIOB members.
And it’s not just for live construction sites. Events at manufacturing facilities, training centres, and offices are all popular and help to display the diversity of careers available in construction, which offers something for everyone.
Every Open Doors event that you host is an opportunity to reach out to the local community as well as show your support for the government’s efforts to address the challenge of more than one million people not in education, employment or training (NEET). You may even recruit your next rising star!
Events can be registered now at https://opendoors.construction/. If you haven’t taken part in Open Doors before and want to learn more, you can get in touch with us at [email protected].
