THAT’S CLEVER – Campaign drives construction conversation

Construction trades are no longer being seen as a fall-back for high schoolers who are not cut out for university.

A statewide campaign from Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) is highlighting that more savvy young people are choosing construction careers as their first preference.

“Clever Queenslanders are choosing pathways into construction” say bright billboards strategically placed near high schools and heavy traffic locations across the Sunshine State.

The billboards feature Jay – one of four ‘young guns’ to be profiled on the Construction Pathways website.

The stories of Jay (26), Ashleigh (27), Kaitlyn (30) and Harry (20) are all unique but their messaging is the same: construction work may not be easy, but the rewards can be HUGE.

The CSQ Construction Pathways project is making it easier for more people to start their pathway into construction.

Recent campaigns, including the billboards, have focused as much on parents of young people as the young people themselves.

Radio advertising urges parents to recognise that university after school is not the only pathway to success, to ‘flip the script’ on the career choices that smart kids are making.

CSQ CEO Geoff Clare said the campaigns are designed to trigger conversations around the family dinner table.

“Our research told us that young people do still feel pressure from family and schools to choose a university pathway after school, so we are looking to unwind outdated views of careers in construction,” Mr Clare said.

“The radio advertising is getting excellent cut-through and we are receiving an ongoing stream of positive feedback from listeners and stakeholders,” Mr Clare said.

When the radio campaigning first kicked off in November 2023, cheeky scripting poked fun at the old university/ATAR fixation, playing out all the competitive benefits of ‘earning while you learn’ and avoiding student debt.

The ‘ATAR Schmaytar’ campaign drew the ire of unis and was the subject of news reporting in The Australian and ABC News radio, with knock-on chat on Sydney breakfast radio and parenting podcasts.

Conversation starter, TICK.

“We are also delivering youth-focused messaging through TikTok,” Mr Clare said.

“Adding in the billboards means this is real wraparound approach, where we hope to spark conversations in cars on the way to school and around dinner tables.

“The more awareness we can raise around the opportunities in the industry, the more we can support new entrants choosing construction for themselves,” he said.

All advertising points to the Construction Pathways website which is loaded with information about the many jobs and pathways into the construction industry, from apprenticeships and traineeships to university courses and pre-trade programs.

“When we ask people to name jobs in the construction industry, they generally only think of traditional trades like carpentry, plumbing and electrical,” Mr Clare said.

“But, as we share on the website, there are over 70 different jobs, catering for all kinds of skills and interests.”

For more information, visit constructionpathways.com.au.