57% of parents thought a plumbing qualification would make children “very employable”Teenagers training as plumbers are thought to have a better chance of securing a job than those who study subjects such as maths, law and history at University according to parents a survey finds.
Eric Pollard, Director of Construction, Now Careers, said: “It is really positive to see parents recognising plumbing as a profession which has opportunities available and hopefully this study will help more parents to understand and explore the profession as a prospective career for their children.
“Naturally, parents have a great deal of influence over the career choices which their child makes, the next step is encouraging parents to make their children aware of the different routes into professions, such as vocational qualifications and apprenticeships which equip students with skills and experience which are highly valued in the industry.
“Especially, with the reported skills shortages, those who choose to enter into trades roles are in a very strong position, possibly even stronger than those who are coming out of University with a degree, simply because the skills which they learn are in high demand.”
More than 3,500 mothers and father were surveyed by the education charity, Edge and the City and Guilds Group, and it was found that there were concerns for school leavers who enter university but were still not regarded as being employable.
It also found that there was greater understanding needed between parental perceptions and employment prospects, as most still wanted their child to attend university.
The study looked at parents opinions on the chances of employment with vocational qualifications and apprenticeships in comparison to degrees. It found that 57% of parents thought a plumbing qualification would make children “very employable” compared to 53% for those taking law degrees and 48% with a math’s degree.
According to the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills report, July 2013, the construction sector contributes almost £90 billion to the UK economy, and accounts for approximately 10% of total UK employment.
