Morgan Sindall report: Gen Z put off construction careers

A new report conducted by Morgan Sindall Construction in collaboration with HBD and Gleeds has discovered that less than a third of Generation Z would contemplate a career in the construction industry. The report, titled ‘Are we Gen Z ready?’ has concluded that just one in three millennials view the sector as one they would like to work in to address climate change, despite the majority being aware of the issue. 

The report also unveiled further reasons for the decline in interest, with 28% of surveyees saying that construction was “dangerous” and 26% describing the industry as “dirty”. Leading the research, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Karina Connolly, said: "Our research suggests many Gen Z-ers are simply rejecting property and construction outright due to negative perceptions of the industry.”

Climate change and digital transformation

Commenting on Generation Z’s understanding of climate change and digital transformation, she added: "An equally pressing concern is the lack of awareness among Generation Z about the ongoing digital transformation happening within the industry, and the initiatives progressive businesses are leading as they embrace a shared responsibility to tackle the climate emergency.

"Both of these areas are critical for construction to make real progress in; they’re also highly dependant on specific green and digital skills which almost every industry is competing for.”

The research also revealed that 57% of women are put off working in construction due to the perception that it is a “male-dominated” environment. Connolly believes that the government should backpedal its initiatives which try to encourage younger people to join the construction industry.

"While businesses, trade bodies, government and education providers work together on commendable initiatives to engage a younger generation, our research suggests they are not cutting through sufficiently. It may be time to re-think the content from these programmes, along with the choice of digital channels used to appeal to Gen Z,” she said.