The big topic at this year’s UK Construction Week in London was how government and industry are working together to tackle the skills gap. The event started with nothing short of a rallying cry from Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern, who asserted that construction is vital to the country’s ambitions as it can help deliver two things we desperately need: good homes and more jobs.
While the discussion at the event focused on what trade bodies, government departments and manufacturers could and should be doing, it got me thinking about the role of PR and comms in all this. There’s no question that clear, targeted and strategic comms can play a key role in shifting perceptions, promoting careers and ultimately mobilising action across the sector. So how do we make that happen?
Changing Perceptions Through Storytelling
We know there aren’t enough young people entering the industry and we know the reason why. They often hold outdated or negative views when it comes to jobs in construction, defaulting to muddy boots and working on cold, wet building sites. While both those things might well be part of the job, what’s missing is a focus on innovation and opportunity and that’s where good comms can help. We can:
- Share stories of people thriving in their roles. It forms a lot of the B2B influencer work we do with clients who are passionate about sharing the lives of real tradespeople who are championing and celebrating their industries.
- Showcase modern methods of construction, working with brands who are embracing and innovating through tech and AI to take things to the next level. This often plays a key role in achieving a more sustainable future, something we can all get on board with.
- Use the right channels to catch the attention of younger audiences to land messages which really resonate. Let’s face it there’s very little point trying to reach 16 year olds through LinkedIn and broadsheets.
Demystifying Government and Industry Programmes
There is already so much great work going on to try to encourage people into the industry, whether that’s apprenticeships, T-Levels, initiatives like the Construction Skills Fund or local authority partnerships. But what good are they if not enough people know about them?
A key point raised by Alison McGovern at UK Construction Week was that our job centres need to serve employers so much better, providing a tailored service for the sector. As comms professionals we have a unique opportunity to simplify access to this support by making the pathways clearer. We already work with great brands who are part of these programmes, so we need to help them shout about that and make sure the relevant content is getting in front of school and college leavers.
Proactively Tackling Underrepresentation Through Comms
We also need to take bigger strides to diversify the construction industry further. We know that underrepresentation of women, ethnic minorities, and neurodiverse individuals limits the talent pool. Brands need to make sure that comms campaigns amplify diverse voices and role models from across the industry, rather than narrow the field. We need to challenge ourselves at every turn, ensuring that unconscious bias isn’t allowed to creep in and we take all steps possible to utilise inclusive imagery and language.
We Need to Invest
There is a huge amount of money being promised by the government and the wider industry to tackle the skills gap on the ground, but if the investment isn’t matched when it comes to comms then surely we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Both brands, and the industry more broadly, need to make this a priority and put their money where their mouth is when it comes to getting the message out there.
Tackling the construction skills gap isn’t just about policy and training programmes. It’s about making the industry visible, attractive, and accessible. Smart, strategic communications can amplify these efforts, helping people understand not just how to get into construction, but why they should want to.
