Children encouraged to take up bricklaying at The Skills Show

With technology playing an ever-increasing role within the construction industry in the UK, research from the ONS Labour Force Survey has indicated that less young people are taking up skilled vocations such as bricklaying, with 38% fewer employed in 2015 than they were 10 years ago.

On the 19-21 November at the NEC in Birmingham, The Skills Show, in partnership with the Edge Foundation and Premier Colleges and the European Social Fund, will showcase careers within the construction industry to over 75,000 young people.

The Skills Show is free to attend and provides young people considering their future careers with an opportunity to meet with organisations within the industry.

The event will also host the finals of the WorldSkills UK Skills Competitions, with more than 600 young people participating in over 60 competitions, which test a wide range of skill sets from aircraft engineering to butchery. Those who excel will be picked to train in Squad UK to prepare for selection to Team UK, which will compete at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in 2017.

Carole Stott, Chair of Find a Future, which brings together WorldSkills UK Skills Competitions, The Skills Show and The Skills Show Experience, commented: “The Skills Show is all about finding a perfect match between young people and businesses, and we realise that bricklaying is one of the sectors most in need of new blood. That’s where we come in. We work side by side with employers and industry bodies to put young people in touch with businesses planning for the future. It’s also a great chance to celebrate the diversity of skills and talents we have in the UK, particularly among the younger generation – and to work out exactly how these skills can translate into meaningful careers.”

“We believe that giving young people a chance to discover more about the opportunities in industries like bricklaying – particularly at a younger age – can really help to change perceptions. Which is effectively why we organise this event every year – to give our school-leavers and college graduates an extra bit of insight that could inspire or further encourage the development of their careers.”

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