The youth of today.

A decision was taken recently at TBE to embark on a recruitment drive. During this process we met a very varied collection of applicants. Those that we invited into our ever-expanding building family have been very impressive. Seeing these ‘youths’ brought to mind some of the media stories of recent times. The press would have us believe that the only vocations of teens in this country are getting drunk, getting pregnant or getting killed. This has got me thinking as to how the building trade might have something to offer on a social level.

If the government has its way 50% of young people will be going to university. Not only does this devalue attainment of a degree for those of genuine intellectual calibre, it is a waste of three years for the lower sections of that 50%. They will still be unable to compete with the more able students at the better universities in the job market and will end up getting the same jobs they would have got without university, competing against the same peer group. The only difference being three years on the lash and the resultant debt. But the real worry for me is the 50% who don’t get a place at university.

Over the last decade I have detected a two tier society develop in the UK based entirely on money. There are more well paid jobs with excellent career prospects than ever before, but what if you can’t get one of those jobs? The ever-increasing bureaucracy of certificates and qualifications is making the working world impenetrable to those on the outside. For a 16 year old who does not want more education, which is a perfectly reasonable choice, a professional career is all but beyond him forever.

The construction industry now finds itself in a curious position. It employs over a million people in the UK , business is as strong as it has ever been, and it has traditionally been one of the most popular routes for non-academic young people. But it seems to be falling out of fashion. The golden rule for British working life now is equal opportunities to everyone. Unfortunately, the hard lesson of life is that not everyone has equal ability. Not everyone has the same maths ability to be an accountant, not everyone has the same people skills to be salesperson. We can’t all have the knowledge and confidence that our GP has. But what is most disturbing is the trend towards promoting ‘cool’ jobs to young people. There are very few jewellery designers in this country, and lots of nurses, but careers advice suggests that a person can have either job, with an equal chance of success. We certainly can’t all be DJ’s or television presenters, but an ‘educational’ careers program I saw on daytime television recently highlighted these media jobs as legitimate and sensible choices. We need tens of thousands of bricklayers in this country, but only a handful of talking heads. So the careers advice is misleading and betraying our youth. Britain is a fantastic place to live if you want to be successful. I firmly believe the class system is dead, but we can’t all end up on telly so lets get realistic. 17 yr old lads with a basic education need to be on building sites, not learning media studies 3hrs a week at Basingstoke Polytechnic. Everyone wants to wear a suit and have a £25k starting salary or failing that go on X Factor. There are not enough of these jobs around but the construction industry is crying out for labour. So let us be a little more honest. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Why make people feel they have ‘ended up’ in the trade after their career as a jewellery designer sadly didn’t work out?

A day on a building site is tiring on an easy day, and physically punishing on a hard one. There is no sitting down, other than for tea, and constant movement, lifting, carrying. The teenagers who are roaming the streets in the early hours of the morning shooting each other would find it a little more difficult if they had been mixing concrete all day. Uppermost in their thoughts would be home, shower, food and bed. Stabbing and drinking would seem like a lot of effort after all that exertion.

Perhaps the real point is to fully appreciate the value of work. With the focus on becoming pop stars and journalists we have forgotten that 99% of the working population only do so for money. Work to live, not the other way round. Why sell young people impossible dreams so they have a disdain for the everyday life that is the reality. What is wrong with being a plumber, electrician or bricklayer? It can be a good life with freedom, opportunity to earn good money, ample chance of self-improvement, and that spirit on site that cannot be bettered. There is no better feeling than getting stuck in on site, working up a sweat to get the job done and going home with a feeling of satisfaction. Work brings confidence and self-worth.

There should be no young men aged between 16 and 21 who are not in education or employment. With the current building boom we could put these youngsters to good use by introducing eighteen months national service, but on a building site rather than a war zone. They could be paid more than the dole, but not enough to stop them from trying to improve their situation. If they go on to hold down a steady job they can leave their service early but if they quit they have to come back and complete their term. Once introduced, we will have thousands of young men who are up and out to work early instead of lying in bed. We would be teaching a skill, and dispelling any idea that these boys are too good for manual labour. Finally, earning a modest but regular wage teaches financial responsibility. The result is a generation of young men who don’t need to be out on the streets at night looking for something to dispel their boredom because they have just had an exciting and tiring day on site.

It will never happen… but imagine if it did?

So what else is good about working in the building trade as opposed to that stuffy office job? There is a subtle, but significant benefit to being on the tools, and it involves personal hygiene.

I am not suggesting that builders are filthy animals, quite the opposite, such is the dirty nature of the work, a shower afterwards is essential. But knowing that they will get dirty opens up some interesting options in the morning. For me, the brushing of teeth is essential (unless I am running very late!) but the of brushing ones hair is less of an issue. There is no point in being perfectly coiffured at 7.30am only to have a big dollop of plaster in your Brylcreem by 8.30. For the office worker every strand must be in place on his head, lest he should be accused of exhibiting some individuality.

The novice builder will spend his first months protecting his appearance before the penny finally drops that the ladies are few and far between on site. Likewise, wearing those Reebok Classics was a great idea before it rained. Now the wet feet and ruined shoes make the sensible but 'dorky' work boots much more attractive. Once the initial attempts at maintaining some street cred have failed, the floodgates are open.

It starts at lunch. The salad cream, tomato, piccalilli that cascade down the hi-visibility jacket make a real mess… But is it any messier than the drywall adhesive you will be using later? Clearly there is no point in cleaning it off. No-one will notice it anyway. Imagine our man in accounts with a drop of dill pickle on his silk tie. It would be a catastrophe. And should it touch his Hugo Boss suit he would be ashamed to re-enter the office.

The low point/high point (depending on your point of view) for the builders cleanliness comes a couple of times a year when he gets a cold. The runny nose that lasts for a couple of days is really annoying for every sufferer. Continually blowing, sniffing and reaching for the tissues. But not the hardcore builder. Why try and stem the flow? Let the nose drip itself dry… onto the floor. With two hands on the tool and deadlines to meet he cant afford to stop every couple of minutes to wipe. Just let it hang on the end of your nose, and then to the floor. This is a tactic best avoided when working in a nice private residence, but if you are knocking walls down or digging holes, anything goes.

Builders are not dirty people, but they do have a dirty job and clearly this has advantages and disadvantages. I would suggest one should go with the flow, turn the negatives into positives, and leave the handkerchief at home. A sleeve is just as good.

Looking to get some work done? Don’t know who to turn to? If you are looking in the yellow pages to find your builder then there are a few things that you need to consider very carefully when deciding between firms. But more on that later, first a quick look at that builder whom your friend from work recommended.

The silver rule of picking a tradesman is to go with a recommendation. This is sound advice but perhaps not quite as simple as it might seem. Very few people bother to follow the golden rule, which is to get three separate quotes. So when they get their man in to do the job, they have no idea if the price is reasonable. Most builders will do a good job for a high price, they only bodge it when there is no money in it. The customer then recommends their man to everybody, with no idea what the alternatives are. Some people like their builders so much on a personal level they will speak highly of them, even though their work may have been substandard. And don’t forget, people have different expectations of the work. Thus a recommendation on its own is not enough to get you the quality tradesman you deserve.

So back to the yellow pages. You will need to phone more than three because a proportion won’t turn up, and of those that do show, some won’t bother to get back to you with a quote. This is an easy way to narrow down the choices. Don’t waste time on builders who don’t show, move on. But do remember that builders hate quoting and are unlikely to do it very quickly. They will never give you a price on the spot, and it would be inappropriate to ask.

By now you will have met your three prospective builders and got their quotes back. There are a few criteria to look at from the outset. Pay attention to their presentation. Professional letterheads on the quote, a decent vehicle and appropriate personal appearance (don’t expect a suit, don’t accept muddy boots) all say something about the calibre of the man. It is important how you communicate with your builder so see if you develop a natural rapport. It is hard to tell the swindler from the genuine guy so don’t solely pick the builder that you like the most.

The ace up your sleeve is to ask to see some of the previous work the builder has done. This is quite an inconvenience to all parties, and the previous customers who will be letting you into their home, so save it for big jobs. By viewing previous work you will learn two things. Firstly, the standard of the finish. Try and ignore stylistic elements that you dislike and focus on the detail and quality. Second, and most important, pay attention to the chemistry between the previous client and the builder. The fact that they are allowed back is something of a clue, but the degree of friendliness and mutual backslapping will show just how pleased the client was. If you find a builder who has keys to a property (and he has not nicked them) and shows you around on his own then you are onto a winner as this demonstrates a high degree of trust.

To find a good builder when you don’t know one is going to require a lot of effort on your behalf. Most people don’t bother, and then complain about the poor chap they do end up with. To avoid this, follow the advice, use your common sense and trust your instincts.

In the last ten years of labour government we have witnessed an ever increasing bureaucracy and regulation of many areas of our working and public lives. The building industry has not been exempted. It is no longer sufficient for work to be up to building regulation standards. Now the individual has to prove that he is up to standard as a worker. From 2010 all tradesmen on Major Contractors Group (MCG) sites will have to carry a card containing a computer chip detailing their qualifications. Access onto the site will be denied to anyone unable to prove their worth. The contractor is liable to a heavy fine if found employing an unqualified tradesperson.

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There are many things that I like about working in the building trade, it is a great job if you are suited to it. I often try and isolate the characteristics of the job that appeal to me, and there are many, but one stands out in particular. By its very nature, a building project cannot progress without men working on it. When there are no men onsite, nothing happens. The key benefit of this is with nothing happening, nothing can go wrong. And if nothing can go wrong…. There is nothing to worry about. The building trade is officially stress free out of office hours.

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