Two UK construction bodies have called on parents, teachers and careers advisers to encourage children to pursue a career in construction, following a prediction that over 220,000 workers will be needed by 2019 to meet demand.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has released a report 'Educating the Educator' that claims an industry skills shortage could be exacerbated as 35% of careers advisers believe construction is an unattractive career prospect for young people.

-- Advertisement --

And with growth of 2.9%, on average, over the next five years (2015-2019 inclusive) predicted, CITB along with the UK Contractors Group (UKCG) is calling for action to attract fresh talent.

UKCG Director Stephen Ratcliffe said: "Perceptions of the construction industry are still very much stuck in the past. Many people, including parents, teachers and careers advisers, still see it as offering very limited career opportunities for young people in what is often seen as a physically demanding and male dominated industry. As long as these negative perceptions remain, the industry will find it extremely hard to recruit the fresh talent it so desperately needs - potentially threatening to derail the growth the industry is predicted to see in the coming years."

(IT/CD)