Why should young people work in facades?

Construction as an industry is one full of promise for those in the younger generations, though many are not aware of those opportunities, or unfortunately frequently look down on construction as an unskilled industry with little room for progression. However, construction and its many sub-sectors can often offer amazing career paths.

As of last year, construction experienced annual growth of 5.7% and facades as a sector has been booming with several large projects being secured all across the UK. There are several opportunities flying around at all levels and with all disciplines, with an ever-increasing number of contractors looking to bring on graduates, apprentices, and junior/assistant-level candidates.

And yet the number of young people in construction and facades is low, with the number of people starting their careers within facades not being enough to fill the demand. Why is this the case and why should more young people view this as a career choice that might be for them?

Firstly, the sector offers a great deal of long-term growth and future salary potential. Many contractors invest heavily in talent and aim to provide all the tools and skills someone might need to succeed. As experience accumulates the facades industry is more than willing to provide a host of new challenges, roles, and projects, and with the increase in demand salary is often very attractive, making the industry an excellent long-term choice for a career. This applies to all parts of the business, be it commercial, delivery, or design.

Secondly, the sector is valuable and constantly expanding, with many contractors choosing to expand their operations. With the growth of the sector, you can expect a steady stream of work to remain involved and plenty of opportunity to develop. In recent times many specialised sub-contractors have been experiencing difficulties, likely tied to the recession. But with that in mind there are many more contractors who are thriving, and many larger contractors expanding their operations to involve external envelopes by creating new divisions or creating new contractors under their umbrella.

Another point to consider is the sustained demand for talent within the facades industry, with contractors of all sizes always interested in approaching new talent. This often translates to an easy and often quick process when searching for new opportunities as well as the luxury of choice that many other sectors do not have. Areas such as London, Manchester, Southampton or Bristol are saturated with amazing facades contractors, while many other contractors have offices in smaller locations dotted across the UK, meaning there is likely to always be an option close.

Something often undervalued is the offer of mentorship that many facades contractors are more than willing to provide to their junior employees. Many of those in facades have been in the industry for long periods of time and as a result have a high level of experience related to all the systems, tools, materials, and processes involved and are keen to pass that knowledge to others. Mentorship can make a massive difference, especially at the start of someone’s career, and having that option as an industry standard is a key area of distinction for facades.

Lastly, an area that may be of interest to many, is that construction is a constantly changing industry, and facades as a sub-sector leads much of that movement. New materials, ways to use those materials, legislation, technology and more drive the industry forward. Construction has a negative perception of being a dinosaur of industry but facades experiences change frequently. This means that at any level you will often be involved in new areas and with new technologies that keep the job fresh.

Also, a point to consider is simply that construction and facades want young people to start their careers in that area. Many other sectors are flooded with numbers of applicants and no way of accommodating the number of candidates looking to make a start in those careers. Many companies are laying off people in the thousands, reducing salaries, and struggling overall. Meanwhile, facades contractors are active in bringing on and training those with a desire to join.

To summarise, construction and more specifically facades may not be a glamourous sector to work in full of superheroes but it is a key pillar of society and the economy that offers an invaluable service and is full of nuance. Anyone who gives it a chance has the ability to reliably rise the ranks and reach high-level roles and work for some of the biggest companies in the world. It isn’t uncommon for someone to start as a labourer and be offered opportunities for education and chances to take a step up and end up as a senior manager or director with that same company down the line. As far as opportunities go, not many other sectors and sub-sectors can offer that.