New YouGov Omnibus research, commissioned by Mobile Mini, reveals that’s just 3% of 18 – 24 year olds have actively searched for a role in the construction industry.
Almost half of young people (46%) believe the construction industry is important to the UK economy, but just 3% have searched for a job in the industry, new research shows.
The Unexplored Opportunities report from Mobile Mini, the UK arm of the world’s leading provider of portable storage solutions and a major supplier to the construction industry, polled over 650 18-24 year olds from across the UK on their career expectations and industries they’re looking to work in.
The results show that despite 46% agreeing with the statement that the construction industry is important for the UK economy, the majority haven’t searched for a job in the sector, favouring retail (45%), hospitality, travel and/ or leisure (22%) and education sectors (18%).
Overall, just 3% of the 18 to 24 year olds surveyed said they had actively searched for a job in the construction industry, falling to 1% for female respondents.
Almost two million people in the UK were employed in the construction industry between January and March this year, according to figures for the Office for National Statistics. Mobile Mini has created 14 new positions since January this year, including sales and yard staff and specialist roles in training and product development.
When questioned about their perceptions of the construction industry, 45% agreed with the statement that jobs in the sector are mainly targeted towards men. Almost one in five (19%) said the construction sector is not a desirable industry to work in and 26% said jobs in the industry are not secure.
In addition to views on the industry, the report explores young people’s expectations of their job roles. Almost one in four (39%) said they would expect to be offered formal training as part of a job, but just 17% said they would consider applying for an apprenticeship role.
