A total of 230,000 new workers are needed for the construction industry by 2020 and with fewer graduates coming into the sector, military leavers are a viable untapped resource that should be utilised, according to the CIOB.
Currently around 20,000 people leave the military every year and many possess the skills and background needed for a successful career in construction, the CIOB points out.
As Armed Forces Day approaches on 25 June, the CIOB is supporting BuildForce, a cross-industry initiative to raise awareness of construction careers among armed forces leavers and veterans, and strengthen recruitment from the services into the sector.
BuildForce is part-funded by CITB and led by a group of founding companies: Carillion, Crossrail, EY, Lendlease, Morgan Sindall and Wilson James. Following a successful 18-month pilot, it is now expanding to include more industry partners.
Chris Chivers, CIOB president, said: “Construction is a people-based industry, and it needs leaders just as urgently as those with technical skills. For ex-military personnel, there has never been a better time to join the sector. Technological advances are creating new and exciting opportunities.”
