Andy Burnham wants an education system that values the ‘hard hat’. This is a chance for construction to promote its diverse career paths.
A few weeks ago our new prime minister said: “I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical, which gives all young people a clear path in life. [We] will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.”
I was delighted to hear him say that, publicly and clearly – and very timely, coming just before many students received their exam results.
However, in my ideal world the prime minister would have gone further and made the case for construction without inadvertently perpetuating the stereotype that those who end up in hard hats fell into a career, rather than pursued a position in our industry.
Our work at CIOB to professionalise the sector provides professional pathways for all current and future experts. We are proud of the diversity of the hundreds of different routes into construction and those who choose a career in construction can find themselves either working their way up on the tools or studying one of the many disciplines that make up this important industry. Our inclusivity is our superpower.
Therefore it is vital to keep all routes open while ensuring new routes are offered so we can welcome more people into the industry.
This is where we require an understanding of the industry’s needs among policymakers – and our research suggests that there are a number of things that can be done.
Survey data from earlier this year tells us that construction careers are still not routinely included in careers advice offered to young people. This obviously means that many are missing out on the incredible range of opportunities on offer in the built environment.
We still need to have conversations about diversity and inclusion, partly to shift away from outdated perceptions that all roles are physically challenging and site-based, but also to carry on addressing the under-representation of women and other groups in the construction workforce.
The changes to funding and to vocational education that will be coming from government need to ensure that courses are accessible, both financially and geographically, with support to recruit the teachers we need and engage with employers.
Those of us already in the industry know that construction can provide incredible careers, but it will take us all working together – professional bodies, educators and academics, companies and employers, politicians and policymakers – to deliver the real and lasting change we want to see.
Victoria Hills is CEO of CIOB.
