Skills Shortage
Historically, the UK construction sector has been vital for the UK economy and a key driver of growth. It contributes almost £90 billion to the UK economy in value added, comprises over 280,000 businesses covering some 2.93 million jobs, which is the equivalent to about 10% of total UK employment. According to the latest Construction Skills Network (CSN) report, an extra 255,000 additional workers will be required to meet construction demands by 2027.There has, however, been a substantial fall in apprenticeship completions in construction related industries within the last three years. In 2022, the financial times reported that only 713,000 people were registered as apprentices in the previous year – the lowest annual total since 2010.
Worse, nearly half (42%) failed to complete their course. In conjunction with an aging workforce that will most likely retire within the next decade, with few people entering the profession to replace them, it’s painfully clear that construction’s facing a significant skills shortage.
To inspire future industry talent and to support more people into the construction industry, Seddon provides several opportunities for people to explore possible career opportunities including engagement with local education provides are supporting people back into work.
School and College visits
Seddon Volunteers Jason Dimelow, Contracts Manger and Charlotte Thompson, Senior Quantity Surveyor provided curriculum support to Liverpool City College students, by facilitating ‘A Day in the Life in Construction Session’. The learners, who were completing a level 2 and 3 Construction in the Built Environment BTEC and T-Level, had the unique opportunity to explore site case studies, discuss the different roles in construction and delve deeper into the roles of a Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager. The session was a great success and the Seddon team were invited back to the college to repeat the session to additional learners.
Girls Out Loud is a social enterprise that facilitates intervention programmes with teenage girls in schools, focusing on themes such as personal identity, role models, career advice, improving confidence self-esteem self-respect and emotional resilience. Girls Out Loud run several programmes to support girls to help them to find their voice, including Role Model Relay. Seddon volunteers, Megan Molloy, Trainee Site Manager and Alison Steadman, Bid Submissions Coordinator attended this dynamic, fast paced event, which catered for up to 120 girls, from St Julie’s Catholic High School in Liverpool. The objective of the event is to give the girls access to some awesome female role models, where the girls could listen to their amazing journeys and interact with them via a structured and supportive speed mentoring format. These women are also paving the way for modernisation, innovation and diversity in the future of the construction industry, a historically male dominated profession.
Supporting unemployed people into work via careers talks
OnPoint Trac is a Liverpool based multiskilled organisation, providing training with a focus on the civil, construction, plant machinery and rail sectors. The aim is to help learners achieve their goals through ongoing support from volunteers with vast industry knowledge, which helps guide learners into employment and continued career progression. Seddon volunteers have provided careers advice, CV support and mock interviews on two separate occasions to unemployed service-users of OnPoint Trac. Seddon provided an open field of guidance, consultancy and exploration of multiple construction career options.
"We had two ‘Day in the Life in Construction’ sessions delivered to our Construction and Built Environment (CBE) students here at Vauxhall Road. Jason and Charlotte were professional, yet friendly and approachable, and most of all knowledgeable. They were engaging and the students really enjoyed learning about what it would really be like if they carried on down this career pathway. Seddon’s have also offered work experience placements to our students to enable them to get real hands-on experience. It has really benefited our students working with Seddon’s and we hope to collaborate further in the future."
Kate Anderson
Progress Leader, Engineering and CBE
Liverpool City College
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
