We've posted plenty of blog entries about how changing careers into construction right now because of the big industry boom that's going on, but what about the other great reasons beside wages and job opportunity? New research from AXA Business Insurance looked at hundreds of UK tradespeople to find out more about them.

The old stereotype of trade work just being for those who don't want to go to/dropped out of university couldn't be more wrong, with over a third of respondents (37%) being university educated. Meanwhile 83% had formal qualifications in their respective trades (such as an NVQ Level 2 diploma), and 70% had gotten where they are today through an apprenticeship. In turn, more than half had then extended these opportunities to other newcomers to the trade by offering a formal apprenticeship within their own businesses.

Another stereotype that's slowly being broken down is that trade work is just a man's game. Though the growing amount of female tradespeople still only represented one in ten within the research, two thirds of these were under the age of 35 - suggesting that many women are now considering it to start our careers.

The decision to be your own boss and go self-employed is also proving to be increasingly popular - with over half of respondents going on to set up their own business. 28% revealed that their introduction into the trade was through a family business, while half also said they had worked in another industry before settling on their trade. That just goes to show how it's never too late to make a career change!

So how about a bit more of their working routine? According to the data, the UK's tradespeople are working an average of 41 hours a week, taking around 2 and 3/4 week's holiday a year. The majority (89%) will work weekends some of the time while one in five always work weekends. But despite this, when asked to rate their job happiness on a scale of 1 to 10, the average came out at eight suggest most tradespeople are content with their way of life. And of course, if working weekends is going to be a problem, as a self-employed tradesperson you'll be able to choose your own hours!

So there you have it, the other side as to why joining a trade can be an amazing career path. This research just highlights how tradespeople can come from all manner of different backgrounds with different skillsets, but all get to enjoy the same rewards. The same applies to our trades training courses - we welcome students from all different backgrounds, gender, experience and skill levels. All you need with us is the determination to make your new career a reality. To find out more about the range of electrician, plumbing, gas and construction courses we have on offer, please just give us a call on 0800 345 7492.

Via HVP Mag

Specialist recruiter Randstad CPE has published new research that shows construction professionals are among the most fulfilled workers in the UK.

In a poll of 2000 workers from a wide variety of industries, it was found that the IT sector and similar ones such as human resources, legal and marketing had the highest level of professional fulfillment at 73%, but construction was following closely at 66%. In addition to this 13% of UK workers said said were unfulfilled in the workplace, as opposed to just 12% in construction alone.

This is rather impressive for an industry that has been struggling in recent years, and is finally seeing a turnout with a boom predicted over the next four years.

Owen Goodhead, managing director of Randstad CPE, said: "Improving levels of fulfilment further represents a massive opportunity for the sector. With higher professional fulfilment comes lower absenteeism and lower staff turnover."

The research also found that professional fulfillment is highest among those at either the start or end of their careers. 67% of 18 to 24 year olds feel fulfilled, along with 66% of those aged 55 and above.This then diminishes during the middle of people’s careers – the lowest proportion of those who feel fulfilled at work was among those aged 35 to 44 (57%).

"There are huge rewards in terms of fulfilment from keeping on older construction professionals, quite apart from the advantages of continuity and expertise," continued Goodhead. "But we also need to make sure we get plenty of young blood into the profession. At the moment, that's not happening. There's been a 20% growth in the construction workforce since the early 1990s, but that expansion has been uneven across different age groups.

"A major concern is the lack of young entrants into an ageing workforce, with numbers of workers aged 60 and over in the industry having doubled in recent years, while the number of those aged 24 and under has fallen by 27%. While the increasing age profile is most pronounced in the manual workforce, professional trades such as architecture, mechanical and civil engineering could also lose 20% of their manpower to retirement in the next 10 years, so the need for new, younger blood is pressing. If the sector continues to rely disproportionately on the middle-aged, there will be consequences. Our research shows a mid-career crisis is a very real phenomenon."

The research also reveals that women are more likely to be professionally fulfilled than men (17% versus 16%).

Goodhead added: "I don’t think it’s unfair to say construction is not renowned for its gender diversity – approximately 88% of construction project managers and related professionals are men. Our research suggests the gender imbalance may be holding the sector back and dragging professional fulfilment down – despite the fact the sector’s still more satisfied than average.

"To attract more women, the industry needs to offer flexible employment and provide working conditions that suit women. Out goes a culture of long hours, presenteeism and machismo – in comes more part-time employment and a greater attention to work-life balance."

The research was carried out as part of a wider study showing the fulfilment levels of Britain’s workers compared to the rest of Europe and the English-speaking world. Approximately 45,000 employees from the UK were interviewed as well as Britain’s English-speaking and European peers over the course of three years for its Fulfilment@Work report. The findings showed that British workers have had the lowest scores in nine out of the past 13 quarters when compared to European peers, including France and Germany, and nine out of the last 11 quarters when compared to English-speaking countries including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Randstad has launched a campaign named How I Became, inspired by the real stories of real people who are fulfilled at work. A web hub contains films from people who work in a range of business sectors, providing key pieces of advice designed to help future candidates on their path to professional fulfilment.

Via HVP Magazine

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Feeling unfuilfilled in the workplace? Looking for a more physical and/or rewarding line of work? Have you considered changing careers for a fresh start in the construction industry? Here at Access Training Academies we provide high-quality intensive construction training in various trades (including bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, tiling and painting & decorating) to get you the skills and qualifications you need for a long and fulfilling career. To find out more contact our sales team on 0800 345 7492.

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