Why professionals in the Built Environment need to show up in schools – and how you can help

When I was 14, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure. Today’s young people face an even more uncertain future – AI is rewriting job descriptions overnight, global crises dominate the news, which is on our screens 24/7, and the world feels more unpredictable than it has since the height of the cold war.

So, what advice can we offer young people today? Let’s borrow a football phrase: play the ball in front of you. Take the next step that feels meaningful to you. Seek purpose in what you aim to do, not just money (although the built environment is actually second only to Financial Services for average pay). Expect change and remember, you can shape change and in many cases take advantage of it too.

Here is one certainty amid what you might see as chaos: we will always need the Built Environment.

People will always need homes, schools, hospitals, places to work, places to have fun as well as utilities to support them and transport links to connect them. That environment must now be sustainable, inclusive, and smart, designed with climate, culture, and community in mind; things young people really care about already.

You might think that would make the Built Environment a top career choice, but think again.

In our polling, only 6% of young people consider our sector a serious career destination.

Why this discrepancy? We have an image problem… Young people, parents and teachers think we’re just “construction.” Muddy boots, traffic cones, rogue builders, poor quality new builds, delays, overspends and unscrupulous estate agents. Basically, the worst headlines. They’ve seen the site hoardings, but never the creativity, collaboration, or purpose behind them.

Meanwhile, tech, media, finance even gaming sell themselves as exciting, high-impact, future-facing industries. We’re stuck with the PR of a cement mixer.

So what do we do?

Go to school. Literally.

If you work in the Built Environment and enjoy it, it’s time to tell someone under 18 about it. In person. In a school. Here’s how:

1. Say it: Built Environment, not construction.

Most people equate “construction” with trades. Trades are vital (and often lucrative), but we have so much more to offer; design, planning, engineering, sustainability, data, law, policy, social impact. Change the language, change the perception.

2. Show up.

Get into a school. Via your kids, your company, your local project, Section 106 links, whatever route you can find. No invite? Then knock on the door anyway. Most schools engagement by the sector is really close to major development projects and so in many areas they haven’t heard from us in years. There are over 3 million of us working in the sector, 4178 secondary schools, so let’s change that; help us achieve our ambition to get a contact with every one of those schools!

3. Be ready.

Teenagers can spot authenticity and tell a fake. They love a real story. So what could be better, talk about your own journey, your mistakes, your “aha” moments, what you love about what you do and why you do it. Visit www.beschoolstrust.org for a ready-made presentation and even a video guide on what to expect how to use the materials (yes, it features me prattling on, sorry in advance).

4. Understand safeguarding.

Schools have ever evolving safeguarding rules, they make sense but you may not be aware of them. They are there to keep everyone safe, so we’ve made a short video guide for that too.

5. Make the presentation.

Whether it’s a class, an assembly, or a careers fair take up the opportunity. You and your career is interesting. Your job is valuable. Your experience does matter.

6. Bring MEMF with you.

www.memf.careers is a free programme that supports the delivery of GCSE and A-Level Geography (and soon the curriculum at all years in secondary school). It’s packed with over 150 links to Built Environment careers resources and aligned with Ofsted’s favourite Gatsby Benchmarks which schools need to address. Most importantly however, it is regularly updated and helps to keep the conversation about the sector going even after you “leave the room”.

7. Support the Competition.

MEMF also includes a national schools competition which schools or individual students can enter whether or not they use the classroom materials. You can offer to review students' entries, and this hour or two of feedback can make a big impression. Your personal engagement is helping to smash outdated sector stereotypes. And, by the way, we’ve calculated that a presentation to a couple of classes and 2 hours of feedback is worth around £5000 in social value!

That quote at the top isn’t a one off, I had lots to choose from. After taking part in MEMF, 72% of students say they now understand the importance of the Built Environment and one in three are actively considering a career in it.

So yes, the world may be uncertain. But the opportunity to build it better, and create a better future is certain. And it starts with you.

If you have other ideas for how we can get louder, smarter, or better at this, get in touch.

info@beschoolstrust.org