Last week, students and construction professionals gathered on the top floor of a glassy office building in Canary Wharf to discuss routes into the industry and take a close-up look at a major construction site
黑洞社区 was invited to attend Build UK鈥檚 preview of Open Doors 2025, an initiative aimed at attracting new talent to the industry.
The morning of presentations, discussions and site tours was hosted by Canary Wharf Group (CWG), which was keen to show off the latest progress at the extensive Wood Wharf scheme.
By introducing young people to the mixed-use residential development, which will provide 3,600 new homes, 2 million sq ft of office space as well as amenities in the city鈥檚 most famous business district, those involved in Open Doors hope to inspire students to become a part of something huge.
Learning on a site tour
All participants, from teachers to skills and training specialists, were invited to don hard hats and hi-vis jackets for a preview of the scheme.
With phase one of the project complete, the second and third stages are underway. Visitors wandered through the site, taking in the works-in-progress that will eventually form part of the area鈥檚 soaring skyline.
Standing in front of a 51-floor apartment in the foetal stages of development, Graham Perryman, senior construction manager at Canary Wharf Construction Limited (CWCL), emphasised that 鈥渋n terms of construction careers, it鈥檚 not just building.鈥�
鈥淎 lot of logistics goes into this,鈥� he explained, 鈥淚 look after this building as a senior construction manager and make sure everyone鈥檚 in the right place at the right time.鈥�
If you did a tour from top to bottom, you鈥檇 see a range of trades working from outside to internal fit-out
Graham Perryman, CWCL
He pointed out the four hoists ready to take us into the belly of the building 鈥� just one example of 鈥渢emporary鈥� installations that require 鈥渁 lot of work and engineering鈥� and play an integral role on-site.
The lift that carried us to level five displayed a small poster introducing a handful of several young hoist operators 鈥� yet another reminder of the kinds of roles that often go undetected.
As the group clambered into an unfinished two-bed flat, the tour leaders talked through the intricate process of how materials become a home, from trucks transporting concrete to assembling bathrooms.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting being in construction. There鈥檚 always something going on,鈥� said Perryman. 鈥淚f you did a tour from top to bottom, you鈥檇 see a range of trades working from outside to internal fit-out.鈥�
The students were eager to learn more, with some perhaps envisioning themselves creating homes for the biggest regeneration project in Europe.
It may not be a typical workplace, but the idea of being one of 230 to 250 operatives on-site using cladding from Croatia or toilet pods from Italy opened the students鈥� eyes to the global supply chains involved in creating one building.
Opening up opportunities through Open Doors
Earlier this year, the CITB revealed that 251,000 more workers are required by 2028 to meet UK construction targets. While the sector faces an ageing workforce, it must also fill worker gaps that emerged after Brexit.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many different entry points to construction, but people probably don鈥檛 realise the different number of apprenticeships,鈥� said Chris Gingell, customer engagement manager at CITB.
鈥淲hat we like about [Open Doors] is it really helps young people to get a good overview of construction. If they don鈥檛 know anybody that works [in the industry], it鈥檚 really hard to work out what it looks like.鈥�
Dean Eves, associate director at CWG, said the industry must carve out alternative routes into construction to supplement the reliance on graduate schemes.
He highlighted a shortage of construction managers yet finds that many graduates are not drawn to those roles long-term. According to Eves, they sometimes prefer to race up the career ladder 鈥渁s fast as they can鈥�, leaving a 鈥渟hortfall of construction [workers]鈥� that 鈥渦sed to come from trade and [we鈥檙e] finding that that flow is not coming through.鈥�
鈥淪o, I think we need to go out and find people,鈥� he continued, saying companies 鈥渘eed to collectively bring them in through apprenticeships,鈥� in order to secure passionate and committed new recruits.
For Eves, it is never too early to introduce future talent to the opportunities on offer as he described hosting a Lego workshop for primary school children too young to enjoy a site visit.
It鈥檚 so meaningful when the young people at the end of the year come back to me and say: 鈥楳iss, you changed my life鈥�
Priyanka Karsan, Construction Youth Trust
Priyanka Karsan, senior schools and programme coordinator at the Construction Youth Trust, pointed out the transformative power of practical experience and showing young people their own potential.
The charitable organisation works with 鈥渄isenfranchised鈥� students who are interested in construction, as well as those who are at risk of leaving education without qualifications.
鈥淎 lot of people misconstrue that as 鈥榯he naughty kids鈥�. I think sometimes [tricky] behaviour is misdirected energy because they don鈥檛 know how to transfer that in productive ways,鈥� said Karsan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so meaningful when the young people at the end of the year come back to me and say: 鈥楳iss, you changed my life.鈥� I don鈥檛 ever take credit, because it鈥檚 their hard work, I just had to show them [the possibilities].鈥�
Wider impact
Although it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of recruitment initiatives like Open Doors, Tamsin Parkes, project manager at Build UK, explained that the impact does not only lie in creating a direct pipeline of young people interested in entering construction.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e also thinking about, who are [attendees] talking to? Who are they showing pictures to? What indirect effects does it have? In terms of our feedback, 88% of people said they would consider a career in construction [after attending the March 2024 event].
鈥漌e鈥檙e just really happy that people come, even if it鈥檚 not for them, we鈥檙e still changing perceptions of the industry and shining a light on the wide range of roles available.鈥�
If the 5,000 young people who attended Open Doors in March have a positive experience of the sector and can talk in an informed way about its career opportunities, then the industry is one step closer to getting its message across to the next generation and hopefully enabling them to be part of an ambitious workforce of the future.
黑洞社区 is the media partner for Build UK鈥檚 initiative
No comments yet