New social media campaign gives young people an exciting insight into the construction industry.
Skanska has teamed up with the UK Contractors Group (UKCG), it’s partners (Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Construction News and the Scottish Contractors Group) and other construction companies to support the ‘Born to Build’ campaign.
Attracting and retaining talent is the construction industry’s biggest challenge today. It has an ageing workforce, a falling apprenticeship completion rate and just 12 per cent of the construction workforce is female. The industry needs to recruit 182,000 new workers over the next five years if it is to deliver the forecasted sector growth and the resulting benefits to the UK economy.
A special campaign called ‘Born to Build’ has been launched to help address these issues. Part of UKCG’s wider Open Doors Weekend initiative, the campaign is primarily social media based and is targeted at young people between the ages of 14 and 19. It aims to challenge outdated perceptions of what is a dynamic and exciting industry at the forefront of technological innovation.
Young people will have the opportunity to find out more about the range of career choices within construction and to hear directly from those already enjoying successful careers in the industry.
Skanska Graduate Quantity Surveyor, Jaak Van Der Werff, is one of the people at the heart of the campaign. Over the next few months he will be telling, in his own words, how he got into the industry, what his ambitions are, what excites him about the world of construction. He will give an insight into what a career in construction is like through a series of tweets and blogs.
Jaak’s story, and a number of other young people in the industry, will be supplemented by practical career advice designed to inspire the next generation.
If you’re proud to work in this sector, say so and support the campaign by sharing the launch video, microsite and twitter handle across your social media platforms.
Find out more and spread the Born to Build message at: