A new report from the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) suggests that young people are hesitant to pursue careers in construction due to concerns about achieving a healthy work-life balance.
Led by RMIT University, the Careers in Construction: Insights from Gen-Z school-leavers in a work-based training program report surveyed 136 trainees in New South Wales who participated in a two-year infrastructure construction program alongside their TAFE studies. Participants, ranging from 17 to 23 years old – both male and female – expressed reservations about the industry, primarily citing the demanding working hours as a deterrent to their interest in pursuing construction as a career path.
As part of the survey, participants were asked to evaluate the importance of various job characteristics influencing their career choices. Female trainees prioritised job aspects such as gender diversity and equitable treatment, followed by roles facilitating a healthy lifestyle and a pleasant working environment. Conversely, male trainees valued roles that offer camaraderie with colleagues, followed by a pleasant working environment and job enjoyment.
According to the report, 74 per cent of survey respondents consider job opportunities that provide gender diversity and fair treatment as important, while 70 per cent value opportunities that afford them some level of control over their work hours. Additionally, 68 per cent express importance in jobs with flexible hours that don’t encroach upon their non-work commitments and interests.
Despite the desire for roles offering a balanced work-life dynamic and flexibility, the trainees perceived these attributes as lacking within the construction sector, which may deter them from entering careers in the field. Alarmingly, only 26 per cent of respondents believed they could successfully integrate parenthood with a career in construction.
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To address these pressing concerns, the CICT, comprising the Australian Constructors Association and the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria, has developed a Culture Standard. This standard aims to tackle three major issues affecting the industry’s performance and sustainability – time for life, health and wellbeing, and gender diversity – all of which were identified as important by the surveyed trainees when considering a career in construction
The report highlights the pressing need for industry-wide cultural change. The CICT’s Culture Standard presents an opportunity for the construction industry to start making these changes now, to cultivate an industry that appeals to the next generation of workers, irrespective of gender.