Fragmented and misunderstood – why our sector risks losing a generation

With the built environment sector crying out for new talent, it is alarming to consider that our greatest challenge may simply be about perception. To a school-leaver aged 16 or 18, what are we? What actually is the built environment? What careers does it offer? Isn’t it just construction, hard hats and headlines about new homes?

It is this perception that we should look to tackle with immediate effect, starting with a call to present an outward-facing image of unity and of a single built environment “super-sector”. And there lies the rub – we often come across as fragmented silos rather than a whole coherent industry.

While this certainly is not true for all, a significant portion of employers tend to focus only on their part of the sector –  construction, housebuilding, real estate, and so forth. In my experience, not enough see themselves as part of a greater whole.

However, we do not have time to dream up a glossy PR campaign to present this unified front. With a growing skills shortage that could escalate into a crisis if left unresolved, the time for joined-up action has to be now.

This sector designs, finances, builds, manages and regenerates the very fabric of society

If employers and industry bodies could stop operating in siloes, students would be able to look at our sector and see a clear articulation of all the diverse roles involved in a built environment project – from finance and legal, to planning and design, from sustainable construction to digital innovation, and from traditional trades to chartered professions. Only then can students see where their skills fit and turn bafflement into ambition and long-term career paths – a sense of ambition we must foster now.

And what a glorious, unified picture we could paint. This sector designs, finances, builds, manages and regenerates the very fabric of society. Across the UK, some 2.6 million people work in the built environment. It requires specialists in areas such as AI, digital twinning, sustainability, carbon assessors, master planners, project managers, real estate professionals, valuers, architects, designers, fire safety officers, debt financers, lawyers, landscape architects, surveyors and structural and mechanical engineers – alongside those delivering each physical construction project.

This unified perception has been the very driver of our own name change – from University College of Estate Management to the University of the Built Environment. Under our new name we better reflect the breadth of this super-sector, now and in the future.

With our recent merger with the London School of Architecture, design is part of our academic portfolio, too. We also welcome students from every corner of the world, thanks to our online learning model.

There is no other sector that offers such a blend of creativity, technical rigour, commercial acumen and societal impact

While our 4,000 current students typically know their career paths – often encouraged by employers to pursue apprenticeships and degrees with us – we must urgently inspire the next wave. With A level and GCSE results recently announced, students are weighing their options. So the time to present a unified front is now.

We must therefore clearly set out the variety of career paths open to them. From civil engineering and architectural technology to facilities management and building control; from quantity surveying and urban planning to environmental consultancy and digital infrastructure – the scope is vast. There is no other sector that offers such a blend of creativity, technical rigour, commercial acumen and societal impact.

Here lies the biggest opportunity for our sector: we can answer the questions young people care about most. Climate change? The built environment generates 40% of global carbon emissions – we can lead on net zero. Social justice? How we design homes and infrastructure can shape inclusive, healthy, fulfilling lives.

Purpose matters to this generation, and we can offer it – if we tell the whole story with clarity and pride.

Of course, routes into the sector must also be accessible, visible and varied. At the University of the Built Environment, we are expanding beyond degree-level education with a growing portfolio of level 4 apprenticeships. These allow students to step into technician, assistant and junior professional roles in under two years – gaining employability quickly while keeping the door open to further study.

We also need to think long-term. Too often, government targets around housebuilding, retrofit and infrastructure are framed in the language of the current parliament. That is not good enough.

Businesses cannot plan, invest or develop a workforce on shifting sands. If we want a pipeline of young professionals, we need long-term clarity from government and a commensurate long-term commitment from industry.

Universities, colleges, employers and industry bodies must work together to make opportunities visible, accessible and compelling. We must speak with one voice, showcase the full range of careers, and highlight the sector’s transformative impact on society and the planet

Partnership and collaboration will be critical. If we are to meet the demands of new homes, retrofit and infrastructure the estimates now suggest the sector needs up to 170,000 new workers every year for the next five years. Meanwhile, government data shows 350,000 young people not in education, employment or training as of this summer.

The talent is there, the need is there – what is missing is the bridge. Universities, colleges, employers and industry bodies must work together to make opportunities visible, accessible and compelling. We must speak with one voice, showcase the full range of careers, and highlight the sector’s transformative impact on society and the planet.

The time for fragmented messaging is surely over. If we want young people to join our industry, we must show them an industry worth joining – united, purposeful and proud.

Ashley Wheaton is vice-chancellor at the University of the Built Environment