Involvement and retention of Britain’s minority groups in the construction workforce is difficult because the sector is perceived as too manual and not academic enough, according to a new study.

This finding is one of the conclusions of the report Construction and Black and Minority Ethnics (BMEs) from the University of Salford’s School of the Built Environment.

Skills shortages, now and in the future, mean it is essential to involve as many skilled people as possible in the industry, the report says.

More than two million people work in construction in the UK, making it the largest sector by employment.

But the industry is overwhelmingly white, about 98%, compared with a 92% average in all sectors. Just over 2% of the construction workforce is BME.

The report, an investigation into the lack of BMEs in construction in the North-west, suggests familial support is not there for young people who would otherwise consider a career in construction.

It says there also seems to be a belief by BMEs that the sector is more focused on profit at the expense of people.

The report’s authors will be making recommendations to government bodies for policies, strategies and guidelines to improve the take-up and retention of BMEs in the sector.

The study is based on questionnaires completed by 229 undergraduates in construction-related programmes and 105 construction employees and interviews with 11 company directors, human resources managers and academics in seven higher education programmes. Career advisers from the University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University also contributed.

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