It's A-level results day and young people around the country will be considering their futures.

In partnership with Mediorite, Co-relate has supported The Housing Forum’s Futures Network to produce Build Your Future in Housing, a new national campaign addressing skills shortages in housing by attracting and engaging young talent. 

The Government plans to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years and with skills shortages across construction, surveying, planning, retrofitting for energy efficiency and housing management, there’s an urgent need to boost the workforce. Raising the sector’s profile, attracting skilled workers and creating a pipeline of young and homegrown talent are now pressing priorities.

The Build Your Future in Housing campaign connects with school leavers, career changers and employers to promote the range of careers and opportunities in this diverse and growing sector.

Through personal stories and compelling information, the campaign is designed to boost the profile of housing as a career path, bust stereotypes and support organisations’ own recruitment campaigns.

Jessica Rose, our managing director and a campaigner on social issues says:

“Everyone is behind the plans to build the housing this country so desperately needs, but the first big unanswered question is who will do the work? The construction sector is in the midst of an acute skills shortage so something has to change if industry is to deliver on the Government’s plans.

The second big unanswered question is how can this be achieved in line with crucial Net Zero targets? The young leaders we’re working with are keen to change perceptions of the sector and to see diversity and inclusion alongside sustainability, unlocking the workforce and skills needed now and in the future.”

Co-relate supported Mediorite and the Futures Network with developing the campaign concept, plan, key messages and collateral. We also worked with Youth Employment UK to ensure up-to-date and relevant information was available for young people on job roles, career pathways and salary expectations.

We produced a campaign tookit for stakeholders to get involved and spread the word using #BuildYourFutureInHousing and a pack for schools and careers advisers to help them have conversations with young people about careers in housing.

Mediorite's brilliant video is below and they also produced two series of podcasts - one for employers and one for career changers - that will be shared in the coming weeks.

Lucy Ferguson MBE, founding CEO of Mediorite, said:

"The Housing Forum's skills shortage campaign presents a huge opportunity to get diverse and under-represented groups into sustainable careers. This fits perfectly with what we're trying to achieve with Mediorite, both as a social enterprise and as production partners on the Build Your Future in Housing campaign.

I had the pleasure of directing the podcasts and heard first-hand from professionals that the sector's skills shortages mean new routes to work for young people and ex-offenders, as well as those who want to upskill or change careers. It's vital that those who work in housing represent our country's diverse communities, so that we all get places and spaces to live, work and thrive."

The first in a series of Build Your Future in Housing podcasts for employers also launches today.

Hayley Hayes, from the Futures Network, said:

“For anyone working in the housing sector, we recognise there is a skills shortage in UK construction. Recruiting people into the sector and then retaining them is the biggest challenge. Over the last 12 months, the Futures Network has been reaching out to the wider sector and beyond, to really try to understand the challenges around the skills shortage.  

Our podcasts provide insights into the best practices for promoting strong workplace cultures within the housing sector with discussions around recruitment practices that are fit for the future, how we can raise awareness of the sector to encourage youths to choose construction as a career and the need for up-skilling. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment the Futures Network have given this project.” 

Access the campaign and all materials at www.housingforum.org.uk/build-future-housing

If you'd like more information, or to co-create a campaign with us, please get in touch with Jess.