Who earns more?

What the NFB said:
The National Federation of Builders is encouraging school and college leavers to consider carefully whether to opt for further education or go straight into employment.

Recent figures show that, although more than 50,000 people join the industry every year, it needs at least 75,000 new recruits in order to keep up with demand.

The Federation said that employers are placing more and more focus on specific skills and training. It advised that next year's school and college leavers would be well advised to research how further education courses, including university degrees, will assist them.

"Employers are increasingly looking to a younger workforce and providing specific on-job training relevant to their needs," according to Bill Rabbetts, chairman of the National Federation of Builders.

"Many further education courses provide students with fantastic employment opportunities every year and this should continue to be encouraged. However, young people need to be aware that a degree qualification, for example, doesn't always carry a guarantee of immediate employment and they are right to fully consider the options available to them," he added.

Ruth Lea, head of the policy unit at the Institute of Directors, agreed that on-the-job training is the best career option for many.

"It's a myth that graduates, whatever the subject and class of the degree and whatever the university, will slide effortlessly into high quality jobs. Many will, but many won't – these will either end up in a 'non-graduate' job or find it difficult to get any form of skilled employment at all," she said.

"Indeed, for some graduates three years at university may even damage rather than enhance their employability. It's far better if people for whom university isn't appropriate, go straight into work from school and train for a trade which will guarantee them stable employment with good opportunities for career progression and self-development."

"The Federation is working with the industry to attract school and college leavers into a sector that offers higher than national average salaries and genuine opportunities for career progression.

"The national average wage in the UK is currently around £21,000, with graduates currently averaging £15,500 in the first year. By comparison, a skilled bricklayer can earn in excess of £24,000 a year, with technical and managerial jobs, like a quantity surveyor commanding salaries of up to £30,000.

"The industry offers a wide scope of career paths with integrated training schemes designed to get fast-track first-jobbers into management positions. Not all graduates have the skills employers are looking for even after three years of university education," she said.

An academic replies:
The National Federation of Builders' advice to "think twice about university" and "a degree qualification, for example, doesn't always carry a guarantee of immediate employment" are divisive and misleading to many undergraduate students. The emphasis upon developing a trained trades workforce is of course important, but not to the exclusion of higher education programmes.

From my experience the employment rate for graduates is extremely high - in excess of 90%. The demand upon our students in placement is such that many return as part time students holding a full time contract.

Having the opportunity to meet a wide range of undergraduate students I am aware that many already hold trade qualifications. Many of our undergraduates are mature students with between two or 10 years trade or practical experience. Would these be the ones to go back to the trades and why do they now feel the need for external qualifications?

It is a shame that the Federation choses to attack further and higher education. The CIOB in association with a number of universities is currently working to facilitate the needs of students and build skills as part of the learning process such as within the new foundation degree award in construction.

The industry needs qualified and professionally accredited managers, engineers and surveyors. To improve standards and recruitment we should be working together, using the approaches proposed by Sir John Egan.

We specialise in developing graduate skills, the use of CAD, understanding materials technology and becoming effective project managers with a range of technical and interpersonal skills. This is the exciting and relevant challenge of a modern degree in the built environment. Surely this is something to be proud of?

It is vital that students should not think twice about programmes of study like ours. The industry needs to attract entrants from a wider background than ever before if it is to make up the shortfall and achieve its objectives.

The challenge is not to exclude education providers, but to encourage participation. How else are young people, particularly young female students, to be drawn into the industry?

Please don't knock what we do. There are so many positive approaches being made by many organisations, including the Construction Iindustry Training Board with National Construction Week. Events such as the Manchester sixth form conference have been arranged specifically to attract school leavers into professional courses and careers in the construction industry. Come on Federation. Work with us, not against us.