The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is calling on every secondary school in the capital to put a builder in front of pupils before they choose their GCSE options, after new research revealed that a third of Londoners (23%) say meeting successful tradespeople would make them more likely to encourage a young person into construction, above the UK average of 29% and higher than the 30% who ask for better careers advice at school. Londoners are not asking for another leaflet. They are asking to meet somebody who does the job.
Tom Peardon, London Director at the Federation of Master Builders, said:
"A third of Londoners say meeting a successful tradesperson would change their minds. So put one in front of them. Every London school should be able to bring a working builder into a classroom before pupils choose their options. Build Academy, which is a collaborative pilot between the FMB, Shooters Hill Sixth Form College and the CITB, places young Londoners into apprenticeships with small building firms. A year in, it has taken students to become confident, productive apprentices in work.
This summer the program and partners reached year 8 pupils at the Chelmsford Skills Festival, 16 to 25-year-olds at the London Construction Futures Fair and 16 to 19-year-olds at an open day at the Wanstead campus. Pupils at Chelmsford played a teamwork-based game introducing them to the problem-solving of site work; at the Futures Fair the program's director talked through the routes to qualifying; and at the open day students met both FMB members and the first Build Academy cohort.
Sunny Bamra, Program Director at Build Academy, concluded:
"One of the biggest challenges we face as an industry is sparking that initial interest in young people. It's particularly challenging on the small business front — unless someone has a family member who is a builder, it's not a career people aim for. That's why it's vital we get Build Academy in front of young people, showcasing a route into the industry and helping them meet role models to aspire to."
