With the offsite sector facing a significant talent shortage, it is more important than ever to educate the next generation on the merits working in the construction industry.

But what needs to be done to reach children and young people?

Dan MacPherson, Executive Director at TSA Riley, shares his insights on tackling this challenge.

He highlights the importance of clearer terminology, integrating offsite construction into education from an early age and fostering stronger engagement with schools to inspire potential new talent.

Providing clearer language

We are brilliant at making things confusing. When you look at MMC there’s so much language that is being used.

In the Offsite Alliance TSA Riley are part of a team trying to come up with a glossary of terms to simplify the language. Until we collaborate and agree on the terminology being used, what chance do we have going into schools and creating a simple narrative and expanding the very narrow view on what construction is?

How that goes is going to be interesting. We’ve got a wide range of consultees looking at all the definitions we’re coming up with as a group, with a view to try and simplify language and a common set of words and phrases that we use within the industry and agree on which is best.

Video game experience

Thanks to games like Minecraft, my six-year-old son has a better understanding of digital design compared to the way our kids are taught and the tools they have available to them at school.

There are so many possibilities to introduce those digital skills at an early age and continue that through their education into construction.

Engagement with schools

When I first started out, on any Homes England grant funded scheme there was an obligation to the contractor to hire a certain number of apprentices, make a certain number of school visits to the construction site, put together a presentation to a local school, etcetera.

That was an obligation placed on the contractor on construction projects. If that came back on the table again it would be a really easy win.

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