“Invest in young talent for success” – Sneyd

UK: B&ES president Andy Sneyd has repeated calls to increase efforts to attract new young talent into the building services sector.

Speaking at the Building & Engineering Services president’s lunch at Millbank Tower in London last week, Andy Sneyd recalled how the industry had changed out of all recognition in the 30 years since he began his career as a 16-year-old on a CITB Youth Training Scheme.

“On the other hand, being still under 50 I’m considered to be a young man by the standards of construction. That cannot be a healthy for any industry to find itself,” he said.

“Of course, members of the Building & Engineering Services Association have long prided themselves on their competence and professionalism and on their ability to complete projects, on time, on budget and to the satisfaction of their clients. But the challenges faced today by all parties to the construction process go a great deal farther and deeper than that. And key to our ability to address them is the existence of a well-trained, well-managed and well-motivated team, at every level of the workforce.”

Recognising that there has never been a better or more rewarding time to come into building engineering services, Andy Sneyd called for greater emphasis on the recruitment of the brightest young talent and educate them not only in the skills and competences required in building services  but also in the overall construction process.

“It is my belief that we must be prepared to invest in education, training and development programmes that are genuinely broadly-based and fit-for-purpose. That way, we will build a workforce that will ensure the future success of our own organisations,” he added.

This, he insisted, would also spread the word that the construction industry can provide careers that offer a stimulating working environment with job satisfaction and opportunities to think and act innovatively, with creativity and imagination.

Admitting that he loved his job and wanted others to share that pleasure, he ended by quoting from Confucius: “If you choose a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.”