Attracting and retaining hard to find talent within both building material and construction industries is not a new worry.  For me this issue was compounded by the 2008 recession, with thousands being made redundant and the perception from workers changing towards the industries.  Older workers actively encouraged children to steer clear given its volatility.  

What's more, there are some frightening figures coming out of the construction arena within the UK currently:

 - New housing, the drive to net zero by 2050 and key infrastructure projects dictate the industry will grow at 4.4% over the next four years

 - This will mean adding an extra 43,000 workers to the current 2.8m according to the CITB

  - 35% of the UK workforce within the industry are aged between 45 and 55, with 750,000 due to retire inside the next 15 years.  More worryingly, only 20% of the workforce are under 30

I've witnessed a number of talks from industry leaders around attracting talent. I agree that large tier one contractors should be putting programmes together to encourage school leavers and develop STEM subjects.  

However, I work for an independent headhunting consultancy with colleagues focusing on industries away from my core focus of building products and construction.  The struggle to attract talent to their clients are equally as tough but clients are more open to new approaches.  Gone are the days where companies can rely on well worded job ads, mission statements or values on their career pages.

Collingwood's clients within healthcare, technology and FMCG are working with my colleagues to build case studies and video interviews about their career journeys with company X.  They're building collateral around the future plans, immediate strategies and potential for growth within positions.  

I am working with a national contractor to build the above.  Other clients I speak with agree that it would seem a good idea, but then get pulled into the current day challenges.

If you're in this position and want a confidential chat about what others are doing, please feel free to get in touch.