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Construction sector’s brightest young minds called on to champion change

From left, Rebecca Rennie, Abi Riddle and Jamie Davison at Morgan Sindall.

A new group has been formed to bring together the brightest young minds from the construction sector to tackle the industry’s most pressing issues. 

The Future Innovation Group aims to tackle construction’s biggest concerns and create a springboard for change, with new thinking from the leaders of tomorrow.

Led by a steering group of placement students, the initiative is open to young people in any construction-related business sector – from contractors to marketeers – and is backed by industry-leading companies including Morgan Sindall, Pagabo, Pick Everard, Wates, ISG and Faithful+Gould.

The group is aiming to identify reasons why the construction industry struggles to attract and retain people at early-stage career level – and rectify these points to build a more attractive and diverse sector. 

It will also look to harness the power of information, working towards making the sector more data driven.

To signal the group’s focus on innovation and operating in a data-first manner to attract young talent, its first major event will be an industry-wide hackathon.

Taking place across July 28 and 29 at the Hilton Hotel in Hull it will feature work sessions and talks from industry leaders.

Rebecca Rennie, placement engineer and site manager at Morgan Sindall, is on the group’s leadership panel along with Jamie Davison and Abi Riddle, also of Morgan Sindall. 

She said: “Our main goal in launching the Future Innovation Group is to bring likeminded young people from any area within the construction industry together, to discuss how we can make it a more attractive place for future generations. 

“We hope the group will be a springboard for change, identifying why junior recruitment has become such a pervasive issue, and how we can rectify it to build a better industry for all stakeholders. 

“We would like to express our gratitude to the industry for supporting us in our new venture and look forward to working with the construction leaders of today to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.” 

National framework provider Pagabo has put its weight behind the initiative, helping to bring people together from across its expansive ecosystem. 

Gerard Toplass, CEO of The 55 Group, which is Pagabo’s parent organisation, said: “Only 25% of the 40,000 people starting qualifications complete the process and stay in the construction industry – showing a 75% drop off rate which suggests the courses are unappealing to young people. 

“This is an alarming statistic and a great cause for concern regarding the future of our workforce as we need to adapt in order to suit the requirements of tomorrow – and thus far have been too slow to do so. 

“The Future Innovation Group will bring much-needed diversity to the industry and I applaud the work of founders Rebecca, Jamie, Abi, and everyone involved in driving the change needed for a better future for those in entry-level positions.”

The group’s leadership will pass on to the next generation of young people in September as the 2022 cohort return to university this autumn. 

If you would like to get involved with the group, contact Jamie Davidson, Abigail Riddle or Rebecca Rennie. 

If you would like to contact Karen McLauchlan about this, or any other story, please email kmclauchlan@infrastructure-intelligence.com.