Michael Parker, Associate Director, Gleeds, said: “At a time when there is a skills shortage across the UK construction industry, we wanted to give students the opportunity through Construction Careers Live! to hear first-hand about the many inspiring opportunities that this sector has to offer.”

The event was held during National Apprenticeships Week and aimed to attract future talent to the construction industry, whilst also addressing a sector skills shortage  – this week the British Chambers of Commerce announced in their Quarterly Recruitment Outlook that the construction industry is reporting the highest proportion of companies (34%) seeking to increase their workforce in the first quarter of 2020.

“It’s vital that employers actively engage with schoolchildren to raise awareness of professional services careers in construction. From infrastructure to education, residential to retail, Gleeds is working on innovative projects that are shaping the skyline of the region, and there’s so much opportunity for the next generation of leaders to kick-start an incredibly fulfilling career in this industry”, commented Parker. 

With the aim of supporting Key Stage 3 students at a pivotal time when considering their future careers, the event comprised presentations and interactive sessions with experts across the project management, cost management, management consultancy, architecture and engineering fields. 

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, who opened the event, said: “It’s essential that school pupils understand the opportunities available to them in the construction industry before they start making career decisions.

“Construction Careers Live! is a great way of doing this, and it is also a fantastic example of how we are working with the industry to help address their skills gap.”

Held at Millennium Point, Birmingham, 150 pupils from nine schools across the West Midlands region took part. 

Michael Parket and Andy Street

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Julian Barlow

Julian Barlow
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