How investing in employees can help grow the construction industry

The construction sector is one of many heavily impacted by the skills shortage. To encourage people to join, and stay on for a long-term career, it’s up to businesses within construction to lead the way and set an example by putting employee development into practice.

To celebrate World Youth Skills day on 15^th July, we sat down with our ESG and HR Director, Annelee Roscoe, to find out how Premier Modular is committed to developing the skills of its team and creating sustainable career pathways for those interested in construction.

What role do employers play in developing the next generation of talent?

Skills shortages are continuing to grow, so it’s important that we as employers address this by creating plenty of opportunities for young people to join the sector. We have to provide the opportunities, but they need to be meaningful and give people the chance to gain both the experience and confidence to have a fulfilling career.

At Premier Modular we understand how important these opportunities are, especially for people from diverse backgrounds. For example, we support future talent by partnering with local schools to deliver career awareness initiatives, explaining how you can train in this career path and also helping people understand the wide range of career paths available in construction. If employers invest in people early in their careers, we can collectively build a stronger and more sustainable workforce.

How is Premier Modular helping young people build sustainable careers in construction?

Our apprenticeship programme plays a key role in helping young people develop practical skills and gain the valuable industry experience needed to succeed in construction. Over the past five years, we have trained 38 apprentices and provided them with employment opportunities, helping them take the first steps towards long term careers.

Our programme is successful as we focus on creating a pathway for apprentices to learn and develop, providing an engaging way to gain new skills on the job. Construction offers far more opportunities than many people realise, from manufacturing and engineering through to project management, design and business support functions. By creating a broad apprenticeship programme we can offer insight into a range of business areas along with hands on experience and relevant, structured learning.

How do you support their growth and development for employees?

Although attracting talent is vital to the future of the industry, retaining it is just as important. Supporting an employee’s development needs to be an integral part of the company culture, and Premier Modular is committed to helping our employees grow and develop into the roles they want.

Career journeys are different for everyone, so we offer tailored learning and development opportunities for people starting out in the industry or those looking to change career path or upskill. Just because your journey into construction is different to another’s, it doesn’t mean you can’t have access to the same growth opportunities. By investing in continuous learning and professional development, we’ve created an environment where employees can grow their skills, progress their careers and reach their full potential.

What role do wellbeing and safety play in nurturing future talent?

We’ve already touched on company culture being an important factor for young people starting in this industry. A positive work culture helps people feel valued and supported, so that they can work to their best ability and enjoy what they do.

We carry out quarterly anonymous employee surveys to understand how people are feeling and make sure that they have a safe space to raise any concerns. Alongside this, we provide access to online training resources and give employees access to our YuLife platform which offers a range of wellbeing benefits, including 24-hour access to GP appointments. These initiatives help us create a safe and supportive workplace for all employees.

What advice would you give someone looking for a career in the construction industry?

I think keeping an open mind about opportunities is always important. People might have an assumption about what a construction job is, but in reality it’s a diverse and innovative sector with plenty of career paths available. Apprenticeships and training programmes can provide an excellent route into the sector, allowing you to gain practical experience while developing valuable skills.

It’s also important to look for employers that are committed to supporting your development and wellbeing. You can only thrive in a career if you feel supporting within the company culture and the right environment will give you the opportunity to build up technical skills, and also give you the support needed to grow throughout your career.

Think Premier Modular could be the right fit for your future career? Click here to learn more about our career opportunities.