With 168,500 construction job opportunities being created by 2023, CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) has launched a new campaign to help get more young people on the tools.
The industry needs to change the hearts and minds of under-25s to address the skills shortage, as 71% of them are currently turned off by construction jobs according to research.
So, Future Made is a new campaign to change their perceptions of construction – but if you’re reading this, you likely won’t see Future Made.
Instead, social media influencers will be posting content on their platforms to show young audiences their adventures in trying out bricklaying, roofing, painting and decorating and more as part of the campaign. Day-in-the-life videos of inspirational young bricklayers, carpenters, painters and decorators will also be promoted to young people on their favourite social media.
Anjali Pindoria, 24, is a Project Surveyor with Avi Contracts and has submitted one such clip to the campaign. She said: “I absolutely love coming on site. Not only do I learn new carpentry and joinery elements, but I also get to learn about construction in general, you get to see the different parts of the logistics and you just get to be inquisitive about what is going on on site.”
Billie-Jo Judd is a 22-year-old plasterer who also has made a Future Made video. She said: “It’s always something new, I just love it, it’s amazing, it’s probably the most therapeutic job in the whole world. The reaction from the customers is probably the best feeling ever.”
Watch Anjali (External link – Opens in a new tab or window), Billie-Jo (External link – Opens in a new tab or window), Mimi-Isabella Nwosu (External link – Opens in a new tab or window), Verse Abudar (External link – Opens in a new tab or window), Lauren Holland (External link – Opens in a new tab or window) and more on the Future Made content hub.
During a small-scale test phase last autumn posts received over 88,000 views in one month, with over 16,000 engagements. Content showing the positive experiences in the industry of their peers will attract young people, before being directed to detailed information on applying for apprenticeships and to local training providers on Go Construct (External link – Opens in a new tab or window).