Member Article

South West teens lay foundations for a career in construction

Youngsters from Bath, Bristol and the South West learnt how to pave the way to a successful career in construction last week.

Scores of teenagers took part in an event organised by graduates from Barratt Developments, aimed at encouraging more young people to consider roles in the building industry.

The Building Futures day, at Bailbrook House in Bath, saw 16-18-year-olds take part in a range of hands-on activities, as well as hearing from speakers about how they got into the industry.

The day has already achieved what it set out to do, with several of those taking part applying for work experience with Barratt Developments.

George Kimber, one of the organisers, said: “It’s so rewarding to know that we’ve inspired these young people to the point where they’re coming to us asking for work experience. Personally, I think the construction industry is a great one to work in. There are so many different roles from the office to site and there’s definitely more to it than bricks and muddy boots. I’m pleased we’ve got that message across in a fun way.”

The construction industry has been suffering from a ‘skills gap’ for several years, with many of the current workforce retiring and not enough new people to replace them. According to figures from the UK’s construction union UCATT, women are even less likely to pursue a career in the industry, with just one per cent of workers on site being female.

The Building Futures event was organised by young people from Barratt Developments’ graduate programme in a bid to change the current situation. The group organised everything itself, from booking inspirational guest speakers to securing Plymouth-based Jem Scaffolding as official sponsor.

Chris Burton, managing director for Barratt Developments in the south west, said: “We are so proud of Jasmine, Dan and George. They’re a shining example of how our employees are motivated and go the extra mile to help others. Construction is a fun and rewarding industry to work in and I’m pleased to see our graduates are helping to spread the word.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Wilson Homes South West .