Every day we see and hear calls from within the industry for more to be done to bring more young people into construction but in reality, what is actually being done? CIOB’s Sophie Cox discusses the organisation’s latest plan to reach more under-18s and spark an enthusiasm for construction that they hope will translate into a new generation of talented professionals
With skills gaps continuing to be an issue in construction and with the demand for housing and infrastructure increasing, there is a need to encourage and support people to enter the industry, either from the start of their career journey or at the point they decide to change career.
Research we carried out in early 2025 showed around half of 16-25-year-olds didn’t have anything about construction included in the careers advice they received while in education.
Clearly more needs to be done to reach school-age children at a point in their lives when they’re starting to think about their future careers or “what they’ll be when they grow up”.
We need to drastically increase awareness around the career opportunities available across the built environment and the different routes available to enter the industry while improving access to practical, on-site experiences to bring the industry to life.
While we at CIOB have had some engagement up to this point with those in schools and colleges, through our CIOB construction ambassadors and with the provision of necessary resources to support our members, the predominant focus for us has historically been on those over the age of 18 who join us as members.
It’s clear we were missing out on influencing younger audiences, so our focus has now broadened to inspire and provide greater support to people at a much earlier stage in their lives and career journeys.
CIOB Aspire
CIOB Aspire is our new online early careers hub designed to inspire and support young people and those looking for a new start to take their first steps towards building a career in the construction industry.
It’s free to access and not only for CIOB members. Inspiring individuals at a young age, before they start to make their educational choices and take their first steps towards their career, is important and it’s an area that we know our members are passionate about.
CIOB Aspire is a digital space that has been created as an additional part of the existing CIOB website, signposting to useful resources and other sites. It includes information on roles in construction, apprenticeships, CIOB-accredited courses and where to get started, as well as industry insights including blogs and videos from some of our Tomorrow’s Leaders Community, giving the perspective of those already enjoying successful careers in the sector.
It also has links to support people finding early career opportunities through CIOB Jobs or with CIOB Company Members and signposts to other helpful resources provided by some of our partners and other organisations working to attract more people into built environment careers.
There’s also information for CIOB members, parents, employers and educators on how to support people who want to develop a career in construction as the industry needs as many champions as we can get.
Play your part in inspiring young people in construction
To those already working in the sector, please share your career stories and support and inspire the next generation, whether that be by becoming a construction ambassador through STEM learning, for example, or providing industry insight opportunities where you can.
This could be by offering a site visit to young people and members of the communities you work in (perhaps as part of Open Doors week), offering work experience, internships or apprenticeships or perhaps by becoming a mentor. You have more knowledge and experience to share than you may realise and could be the positive role model someone considering a built environment career needs to get them to take the first step.
The young people I meet through my work with the CIOB Tomorrow’s Leaders community speak so passionately about the wide range of opportunities in the sector, as well as the positives of no two work days being the same and the fact the work they do leaves legacies that will live on for years to come.
They paint a picture of an industry that while not perfect and still has improvements to make to become more inclusive, for example, offers people with all levels of skill the chance to develop a fulfilling career, and this is something we should all be shouting about.
We hope CIOB Aspire will evolve over time to include even more resources, so please check it out and play your part in supporting future generations to follow in your footsteps.
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