In 2025, the average time that a child in the UK spent gaming was 20.4 hours per week. That is an increase from 16.8 hours the previous year. This statistic was taken from responses to a survey carried out by Mumsnet and ygam. But what does gaming have to do with construction, you might ask? A lot more than you might initially have thought.

Firstly, it is the transferable skills. Digital construction, BIM, project planning and 3D modelling are not very far from the tools that many young people use in their hobbies every day. Gaming teaches spatial awareness, 3D worldbuilding, teamwork, problem solving and risk spotting – the same skills that we use every day when we design, build and  maintain infrastructure for our customers  and communities.

What is more, with our world ever more focused on data and technology – something that is especially true at Kier, given our “naturally digital”ambitions – there are clear and tangible links between pastimes and work time in construction. Young people already have many of the skills that the future world of construction needs – often without realising it.