The construction industry in the UK keeps around 2.15 million people in work, including 1.4 million self-employed people.
It’s a vital pillar of the UK economy, without which the country would quickly cease to function.
Despite this, the industry has been blighted by a handful of persistent myths, many of which have dissuaded talented people from finding work and fulfillment in building things.
Let’s run through a few of these myths, and see if we can deconstruct them.
The industry Is Harmful To The Environment
At the heart of this myth is a grain of truth.
If you’re creating raw materials and burning fossil fuels, as we do when we smelt steel and pour concrete, then you’re harming the environment.
The same might be said of noise pollution, which is unavoidable wherever heavy machinery is being used.
What we should consider, however, is that the construction industry is getting greener every year, with new methods and technologies helping to shift the dial.
Getting talented young people to engineer these solutions will help to mitigate the overall environmental impact.
Thus, if you’re concerned about the environmental impact of construction, you have an excellent reason to be a part of it.
Just For Men
A construction site is a male-dominated environment, in the same way, that the average primary school is a female-dominated environment.
In construction, around 15% of site workers are women – and some sites have no women on them at all.
The balance is shifting, however: it’s illegal for site operators to discriminate against would-be female workers, under the Equalities Act 2010.
Construction Work is Dangerous
The average construction site is filled with hazards.
Sharp implements, heavy loads, heights, and noise can all wreak havoc.
For this reason, health and safety, and the availability of personal protective equipment, is paramount. Building sites should consider specialised builder’s insurance, to guard against these risks.
We should consider, however, that construction work offers a few health benefits, too. It means that you’ll be physically active throughout the day, often in an outdoor environment.
Plus, you’ll avoid the strain that comes from sitting at a desk all day.
Also, far from being boring, construction work can be very fulfilling – especially if you’re performing skilled work.
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It Means You’re Not Educated
There’s a stigma attached to non-academic work, usually perpetuated by people who don’t find their desk job satisfying.
Construction work might not demand book-smarts (in some cases) but you will need to be able to think, and often think creatively.
That’s before we mention that many people working in construction are, in fact, highly educated.
If you’re being trusted on a multi-million-pound project, the chances are that you know what you’re doing.
You’ll Be Working In The Worst Conditions
Millions of people in the UK are at work in unnatural, sub-optimal, unhealthy conditions.
These people are cooped indoors in front of computer monitors.
In construction, the conditions are managed.
You might occasionally get rained on.
Endure it for a little bit and you’ll realise that there are worse places to be,.
Where the environment is genuinely hazardous, measures can be taken to mitigate the risks.
