A new campaign – Build A Career Without Limits – has been launched by the Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants (WCoBM). The campaign is targeted at young people leaving school or college and looking for a career where they can develop new skills, build their qualifications and explore new avenues to support their ambitions. It also reaches out to those already in construction, so they’re encouraged to stay, and people in other sectors who are thinking of switching careers.
The aim is to raise awareness of the varied and exciting jobs in builders’ merchants and suppliers. The core of the campaign includes a new video on the benefits of working in the industry told by people who have done well in their company; and a new leaflet with key facts and figures on construction. The campaign highlights the financial support available to individuals who want to further their training and education, recognising that some may need funding to help progress in their job.
The WCoBM Master, Brian Blanchard, said: “Training and education are key objectives of our company, and it’s an area we support with bursaries and donations from our charitable fund. The idea for the ‘Build A Career Without Limits’ campaign arose from attending exhibitions, talking to school children, parents and teachers, presenting in schools, and realising very quickly that as an industry we’ve not been very good at communicating what we do, what’s good about our industry, and why it matters.
“Awareness of construction is low, and what people think they know is often incorrect or negative, so there’s little motivation to join our industry. In fact, not only is construction not generally on the list of careers to consider, but parents and teachers tend to steer their children and students away from it.
“At a time when the industry has a skills and capacity shortfall that’s a serious problem. The reality is, it’s a very attractive industry with tremendous career prospects. Compared with other industries the range of jobs is enormous, and the opportunities for learning new skills and training and development are excellent. Someone starting at the bottom of the ladder can work their way up to the very top – indeed many of our members have done just that, acquiring skills, qualifications and experience on the way. Some have worked their way up to run some of the largest companies in the UK.
“Please support this campaign, however you can. It matters to our industry, construction, the country: all of us. We must raise our profile and communicate the many positive messages to schools, colleges, and young people, and engage to make a difference. It’s also important that the campaign reaches individuals and organisations in our industry and construction generally.”
The new campaign has been developed to support and work with bodies like the Builders’ Merchants Federation (BMF), CITB, Go Construct, CIMCIG and others to amplify key messages, improve the image of construction, and encourage people to join our industry, and stay to build a career without limits. That’s why WCoBM is also making everyone aware of the support that’s available such as training courses, bursaries and apprenticeship programmes.
Anyone who would like to support the campaign is welcome to use the video and leaflet, upload them to your website and engage on social media. Look out for the #BuildACareerWithoutLimits and #BuildYourCareer hashtags, videos and GIFs to reach farther in your own area to get the story across.
To watch the video or for more information, visit www.wcobm.co.uk
