Half of parents wouldn’t encourage their child to be a builder – despite earning more than graduates

Thousands of children will open their GCSE results today and wonder what their future looks like.

While some will have made up their minds, others will be looking to their parents for advice.

And new data shows that fewer than half of parents would encourage their child to become a builder, despite figures showing it can be a lucrative career.

A survey by the Federation of Master Builders found that only 47 per cent of parents would recommend a career in construction.

If they are concerned about earnings potential, their scepticism might be misplaced. 

Office for National Statistics figures show that the average construction worker earns £42,224 a year, ahead of the overall average full-time salary of £37,430.

Building the future: Half of parents wouldn’t recommend a construction career to their children

Builders are also ahead of graduate roles like graphic designers, who earn around £29,223 and accountants who take home £38,015, according to jobs website Indeed.

For construction workers who run their own firm, take-home pay is likely to be even higher, with FMB member firms averaging an annual turnover of over £1million.

Construction workers also don’t carry the burden of student debt, which is roughly £53,000 and is paid back via a monthly salary.

Construction offers young people a stable, rewarding and well-paid career path without the burden of student loans,’ says Chris Carr, national president of the FMB. 

‘It’s also a brilliant path for those that are entrepreneurial, as you can establish your own businesses and turnover a significant sum’.

How do we build more homes with fewer builders?

If more young adults turn away from construction as a career, the Government’s ambitious 1.5million homes target will be thrown into doubt.

The Construction Industry Training Board estimates that 61,000 new workers are needed every year to meet the government’s target of 1.5million new homes, on top of the current workforce which is estimated to be about 2.67 million.

The Home Builders Federation has previously warned that the UK does not have enough workers to build homes because of skills shortages, ageing workers and Brexit.

It said that for every 10,000 new homes to built, the sector needs about 30,000 new recruits across 12 trades.

Vacancies for construction jobs surged 7.9 per cent between January and June of this year, according to job board CV Library. 

At the same time, there has been a 14 per cent fall in the number of builders over the past five years, with 15 per cent of workers now aged over 60.

As well as recruitment, the Government may also face a retention issue, as construction workers are tempted by better salaries and quality of life elsewhere, like Australia.

A survey by CV Library found that 52 per cent of builders haven’t had a pay rise in a year, while the same number say lack of career progression is their top frustration.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV Library said: ‘Urgent action is needed to ensure the talent is there to build Britain. Labour’s pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2030 won’t be possible without the workforce to build it. 

‘Without confronting the growing construction talent gap head on, these “homes of the future” won’t be built.

‘For those seeking a career change, the construction industry is one of the few sectors with big investment and a jobs boom. There are a wide range of roles in demand, with many of them being largely AI-proof, offering more job security.’

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