Build Your Future: Inspiring the Next Generation

Since 2019, Mearns & Gill has been the creative and operational force behind Build Your Future, an initiative designed to address the construction industry's skills shortage by engaging young people before they make critical subject choices that impact their career paths.

Working with Grampian Construction Training Group and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), we developed and executed a comprehensive programme that connects S2 pupils (aged 13-14) with construction industry opportunities through interactive challenges and experiences.

The construction industry faces a significant skills shortage, with CITB projecting a need to attract the equivalent of 50,300 extra workers per year to meet expected levels of work over the next five years (CSN Industry Outlook - 2024-2028).  However, outdated perceptions of construction careers and lack of awareness about the diverse opportunities available were limiting the pipeline of young talent entering the industry.

Our client needed a solution that would:

• Position construction as an exciting, innovative career path
• Showcase the breadth of roles beyond traditional manual trades
• Engage young people before they selected subjects for their final years
• Create meaningful connections between schools and industry partners
• Be accessible to all schools regardless of budget or location

Programme Design

We developed a multi-phase challenge that engaged schools across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire:

1. Strategic Committee Formation: Assembled key stakeholders from schools, colleges, universities, and construction companies to ensure all perspectives informed programme design
2. Interactive Competition Format: Created a two-stage challenge with online heats followed by in-person finals
3. Diverse Challenge Tasks: Designed activities representing the breadth of construction careers, including sustainability engineering, architecture, legal, project management, marketing, and technical skills
4. Hybrid Delivery Model: Adapted to COVID-19 challenges by developing "Build Your Future TV" - a professionally produced livestream experience from our in-house broadcast studio
5. Comprehensive Support: Secured funding to ensure participation was entirely free for schools, including materials, travel, and venue costs

Innovative Digital Engagement

Leveraging our media production capabilities, we transformed what could have been simple online sessions into an engaging broadcast experience:

• Professional-quality livestreaming from our broadcast studio
• Multi-camera setup with lighting, vision mixing, and production support
• Expert hosts guiding students through challenges
• Interactive format allowing real-time participation from multiple school locations

Strategic Industry Integration

We ensured meaningful industry involvement by:

• Recruiting leading companies to design and present challenges
• Offering to connect industry professionals directly with students
• Creating opportunities for long-term relationships between schools and employers
• Showcasing real-world applications of construction skills