CIOB leads the charge for military recruits

he Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has created a clear route into membership for those with military experience, and is backing a cross-industry initiative to increase recruitment from the armed forces into the construction sector.

 

This follows a CIOB survey of more than 700 construction professionals, in which 77% of respondents said that ex-service personnel could help plug the management skills gap in the industry.

 

230,000 new recruits are needed in construction by 2020 and with three quarters of UK contractors operating at or near full capacity, skills shortages are no longer confined to the trades: demand for professional technical and managerial staff is escalating.

 

Chris Chivers CIOB President said: 'Construction is a people-based industry, and it needs leaders just as urgently as those with technical skills. For ex-military personnel, there has never been a better time to join the sector. Technological advances are creating new and exciting opportunities.

'But without a pipeline of new decision makers, the UK construction sector’s growth and global competitiveness will be severely under threat. It’s important that we act together to establish and strengthen recruitment paths across the armed forces, tapping into this very valuable resource, supporting our ex-military personnel and boosting the UK economy.'

 

Roughly 20,000 men and women leave the armed forces annually, having developed strong team-working leadership and communications skills. Military personnel have learnt to adapt to rapidly changing environments, collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds and take responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of large numbers of workers. This makes them ideally suited to many managerial roles in construction.