Receiving the right career advice to be guided towards construction as well as the need for a balance of vocational qualifications and degrees are needed to increase diversity and inclusion in construction.
Speaking to Claire Hull MCIOB, Roger Bailey, asset management director of Tideway, said that there was too much push for people to get degrees when actually they should be getting more vocational qualifications.
The interview is part of the CIOB’s Construction Leaders Insights Series.
Bailey also touched on the subject of careers advice, stating that he himself never received any encouragement or direction towards a construction career and that by the time children start receiving careers advice at 12, 13, or 14, it is often too late or misguided.
He also said the image of construction currently puts off the next generation and needs to be improved.
He said: “The health and safety image of construction is very poor. The major projects like Crossrail, HS2, and the great clients who are building the Shard, that sort of thing, are all on it.
“But most people walking their 14-year-old down a street aren’t going anywhere near those sites. They’re going near the shop refurbishment, the house that’s being knocked down – that’s what they see, and it’s not, in my view, a particularly good advertisement for the construction industry.”
To watch the full interview click here.
