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Diversity in construction? Our net zero future depends on it
The UK construction industry is at a crucial juncture. Its workforce is ageing and cannot go on working forever. ‘The Big Retirement’ is predicted within the next 10-15 years, a scenario that is not just a bump in the road, but a veritable cliff edge for an industry already struggling with labour shortages.
Not only that, but the industry is facing a looming green skills crisis, with an estimated two million frontline green workers needed in the UK by 2030 – skills that simply don’t exist in today’s workforce.
Plainly, construction firms of all sizes need to radically upscale their hiring, training and reskilling efforts – and fast. But this moment should also be viewed as an opportunity to transform the industry’s poor record on diversity.
The current demographic makeup of the UK construction workforce is extremely homogenous. The majority of workers are white, male and aged between 50 and 64. Only 5.4% come from Black, Asian, or ethnic minority backgrounds, well below the 13.8% representation in the UK workforce as a whole. This disparity is still more pronounced in urban areas like London, where 40% of the population belongs to these minority groups.
Likewise, women’s representation in the sector is markedly low. Despite constituting nearly half of the UK’s total workforce, women account for only 11% of construction roles, with just 1% working on construction sites, and only 16% holding leadership roles.
There are many good reasons why businesses should look to recruit diverse workforces. Research shows that employing people from different backgrounds and with perspectives improve creativity and problem solving, and that firms with diverse leadership teams tend to outperform their rivals.
But for the construction industry, the reason why firms should be pursuing the diversity agenda with gusto is even more clear: if you can’t find enough workers within your traditional demographic, you need to widen the net or you won’t be able to do the work.
Changing the demographic composition of the construction workforce requires more than just goodwill. It demands a concerted effort to overhaul traditional (failing) recruitment strategies and change industry perceptions so that diverse audiences start to view construction careers as viable and relevant to them. This is why alignment with the green skills agenda is so important. It represents a chance for the industry to reframe the conversation and attract people who might not have been interested in a conventional construction role, but who are passionate about saving the planet and want to do their bit.
So how can the industry achieve this?
- Firstly, through targeted recruitment initiatives, reaching out to underrepresented communities through bespoke programmes emphasising the chance to reskill and participate in the net zero movement. When it comes to green jobs, the most relevant talent – i.e. people in existing skilled manual professions – have no idea these roles even exist.
- Secondly, by working hard to transform the image of what a ‘typical’ construction industry employee looks like, so that more people can imagine themselves in these roles. Preconceptions around construction roles being physically demanding, with poor conditions or career path prospects are outdated and must be debunked if the industry is to move forward attracting a broader range of talent. We need to see more creative thinking and initiatives such as this one from Rated People which aims to attract more diverse people into the trades industry by placing emphasis on the importance of skills not demographics.
- Finally, via education and training partnerships, collaborating with educational institutions to introduce programmes and apprenticeships centred on green skills, tailored to attract a diverse audience. Training for these roles must meet people where they are and offer a flexible way to learn and develop skills that fits with their other commitments – not everyone is able to spend many hours in a classroom each week or pay high tuition fees to gain new qualifications – and neither should they have to for many of the green roles available in the construction industry.
The UK cannot meet its net zero commitments without the construction industry. It’s a vast growth opportunity, but only if firms can attract and retain the talent to deliver the work. To tackle the skills deficit and offset ‘The Big Retirement’, the industry must act now to recruit a new, more diverse range of talent into the green roles of the future.
Source: BENEWS
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