Half of Young People Say AI Would Make Construction More Appealing, but 41% Don’t Know the Industry Uses It
LONDON--( BUSINESS WIRE)--The young people construction needs to recruit today are falling through the gap between old careers advice and new Government reforms, according to new research from leading construction management software company, Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PCOR). Having already moved through school before the Government’s new technical pathways for 14–16-year-olds, many of today’s school and college leavers were never shown construction as an option and have little sense of what a modern career in the sector looks like - at a time when the sector faces major labour shortages
The survey of 1,000 16–20-year-olds across the UK found that just 35% recall construction or a trade being presented as an option in careers guidance at school or college, while a further 17% received no careers advice at all. More than four in ten (44%) wouldn’t know where to start if they wanted a career in construction, and almost half (49%) say schools don’t provide enough information about vocational and technical career options.
The Government’s new technical pathways will combine vocational and academic learning, and its message seems to be resonating with many young people. When presented with Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s statement that ‘Britain will value the hard hat as much as the graduation cap’, almost half (48%) of research respondents said it made them view careers in construction and the trades more positively, compared to just 5% who had a negative impression.
However, young people have a narrow view of what a career in the construction industry offers. Two in five respondents (41%) didn't know construction uses technology such as robotics, AI, drones and VR. Yet, over half (51%) said that a role using AI or digital tools would make a construction career appeal more to them – indicating that tech could be an untapped selling point for the industry.
Latest figures from the CITB suggest that the construction sector in the UK needs to secure around 206,000 additional workers across various disciplines by 2030 to meet forecasted demand, while latest Government figures show that there are almost one million young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Commenting on the findings, Lee Miles, General Manager, EMEA, at Procore, said: “Young people can’t choose a career they’ve never heard of. Most of today’s school and college leavers were never told that construction could be an option for them, and that information gap keeps an outdated view of the industry alive. Modern sites run on drones, robotics and AI, and our research shows that young people would find construction a far more appealing career if they knew more about the technology involved.
“The Government’s new technical pathways are a huge opportunity to change that for the next generation, but real progress needs a joined-up effort from educators, policymakers, industry bodies and employers.
“The industry can’t afford to wait for those long-term changes to deliver results, though. Employers need to reach today’s 16 to 20-year-olds directly, through work experience, visible role models and showing them the technology they would actually use on the job.”
About the survey
The research was conducted in September 2026 by Sensu Insight on behalf of Procore via an online survey of 1,000 16–20-year-olds in the UK.
All fieldwork was carried out via a verified online panel, with quality control measures applied throughout to ensure the accuracy and reliability of responses.
About Procore
Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PCOR) is the leading technology partner for every stage of construction. Built for the industry, Procore’s unified technology platform drives efficiency and mitigates risk through AI & data-driven insights and decision making. Over three million projects have run on Procore across 150+ countries. For more information, visit https://www.procore.com/en-gb