By James Tallon, Managing Director, Operations, at FM Conway

In association with FM Conway

Progress in the construction industry is based on two key ingredients: innovation and people. Without both, we can’t move forward.  We need innovation to meet our sustainability targets, and we need skilled workers to turn ideas into reality.  But right now, we’re facing a problem – there aren’t enough people joining the industry or developing the skills we need for its future. 

The age-old problem

The numbers tell a story.  The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has said we need 50,000 new workers to join the workforce every year just to keep up with demand.  The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) found that the proportion of workers above 55 years old grew by 40% between 2012 and 2022.  There is a perfect storm heading our way, resulting from the shortage of people aspiring to a career in our sector, and the challenges of an aging work force.

Without the right minds on the task, we won’t have a functioning industry, never mind meeting any sort of sustainability or green goals. 

However, it’s this push for net zero that could help us solve our problem. The construction sector is one where we are constantly testing new ideas and making tangible progress on decarbonisation – we should capitalise on this. 

What can we do? 

We need to change our approach to attracting talent.  Construction has had an image problem in the past, with people sometimes perceiving jobs in our sector as traditional and old-fashioned.  Shouting about the industry’s advancements in sustainability could be the solution to this.  

We need to talk about the exciting opportunities available, emphasising to young people especially that they have a chance to join an industry looking to push boundaries.  By doing so, we could create a pipeline of talent to deliver the ambitious projects we need for the future.

We’re at a point where the use of new and exciting technology is fast becoming embedded into our work.  This has led to established technical careers with clear progression paths.  Take road materials development as an example. There are young people in our labs working on what this will look like in the future, developing and testing new materials and mixes in an effort to produce longer lasting and more sustainable road surfaces – while learning valuable technical skills in the process.  Ten years ago, pathways like these didn’t exist.  

We’re competing with many other sectors, from big tech to medicine, to attract talented people looking to shape the world of tomorrow, but our sector often does better than people might think in terms of appeal.  According to a recent survey by BBC Bitesize Careers, engineering and building are both in the top ten careers preferred by teens.  We can build on this, harnessing young people’s interest and showing them how they can have rewarding, purposeful careers in construction – positively contributing to society by constructing and maintaining our roads, railways and infrastructure.   

Building the skills we need 

Once we have got people interested, how do we help them thrive and grow in construction? 
As someone who started as an apprentice, and the proud sponsor of FM Conway’s apprenticeship programme, I am confident that apprenticeships are the foundation of our future success. They provide a structured route to welcome young talented people to our business, and ensure that they have a demonstrable pathway to a great career in our sector.

We have approximately 70 apprentices at any one time, and generally recruit between 20 and 25 people to join our business wide programme each year. However, we know that the issue we’re grappling with is industry wide. We need to tackle it together if we’re to make a real stride towards solving the problem.  Individual efforts are fantastic, but it’s the potential collective action between partners that will really move the needle.  As with so many successful construction schemes, collaboration is the key.  We need to create many different routes in.  

I am inspired by the impact of initiatives like the London Construction Academy, which was established by Michael Conway MBE.  This has already helped over 500 young people not in employment, education, or training (NEETs) find careers in construction.  This addition is invaluable.  Programmes are also being developed to recruit from underrepresented groups, including ex-offenders and former military personnel. 

To secure its future, it is vital we don’t miss out on bright talent that could be joining our industry. Construction offers enormous opportunities, to design, build, develop, and be part of the next generation driving sustainability and innovation.

About FM Conway

FM Conway is a leading infrastructure services company operating in transportation, the built environment, and public realm. Whether working on small maintenance schemes, major frameworks, or large complex projects, our vision is to bring clear thinking, innovation, and efficiency to challenges within the built environment.