The report comes at an opportune time because there is a feeling that construction should no longer be a dumping ground for those who aren’t any good at school. This feeling ignores certain realities. For one, the bright young student, for whom it’s a flip of the coin whether to study carpentry or medicine, does not exist. For another, schools do not value construction, and it will be a long while before they do.
Construction can’t afford to be choosy about its recruits. Luckily, there is a large pool of young people who, with the right support, could be making up the numbers. The government’s Social Exclusion Unit reports that recorded exclusions from school quadrupled between 1990-91 and 1996-97, and that 9% of 16- to 18-year-olds were not in learning or work in 1997. These statistics point to a large body of youth cut off from a route to adulthood. From a business perspective, some will be trouble, however much resource you throw at them. But many are just suffering from failing homes and a school system that seems to expect everybody to get a degree. They don’t thrive in a classroom, they’re eager to be adults, and they’d like to be earning real money.
Numerous programmes in the UK target these young people, help them with problems and set them up on a course but it falls to small firms to take them on as trainees and bear the associated risks. Anecdotal evidence suggests these young people are worth the investment, but the charities and the small firms that make it possible need broader industry support.
So why not turn your recruitment challenge into an opportunity? Small firms could start by treating local charities as inexpensive consultancies: tell them what you want. And remember, they’re good at finding money from various government funds. Also, press the CITB to change its grant criteria to allow more money for 18- to 24-year-olds. Sometimes it takes until then for kids to stop messing around and grasp the opportunity. Finally, press the CITB to work with the local charities and programmes already doing the work on the ground.
Source
Construction Manager
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