Procore survey: 41% of young people unaware construction uses AI, drones and robotics

Two in five UK 16 to 20-year-olds do not know construction uses robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), drones and virtual reality, while half say a role using AI or digital tools would make a career in the sector more appealing, according to research published by Procore Technologies, Inc. on 9 November.

The construction management software company said its survey of 1,000 young people found that 55% either never had construction raised in careers advice at school or college, or received no careers advice at all. Only 35% recalled construction or a trade being presented as an option, and a further 17% had no careers guidance of any kind.

Procore said 44% of respondents would not know where to start if they wanted a construction career and 49% said schools do not provide enough information about vocational and technical options.

Lee Miles, General Manager, EMEA, at Procore, said: "Young people can't choose a career they've never heard of." He said the information gap kept an outdated view of the industry alive.

The findings

Survey finding	% of respondents
Construction never raised in careers advice, or no advice at all	55
Did not know construction uses robotics, AI, drones and VR	41
AI or digital tools would make a construction career more appealing	51
Would not know where to start on a construction career	44
Schools do not give enough information on vocational options	49
Viewed construction more positively after Prime Minister's statement	48

Procore said the 51% figure suggested technology could be an untapped selling point for the industry.

The survey also tested reaction to a statement by Prime Minister Andy Burnham comparing the value of the hard hat with that of the graduation cap. Procore said 48% of respondents said it made them view careers in construction and the trades more positively, against 5% who had a negative impression.

Sensu Insight carried out the research for Procore in September 2026 as an online survey of 1,000 16 to 20-year-olds across the UK, the company said.

The workforce figures

Procore set the findings against Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) figures on labour demand. CITB's Construction Workforce Outlook, which the training body said brings together economic forecasts and labour market intelligence, forecasts an average of 41,200 extra workers a year between 2026 and 2030.

CITB said that equates to 1.6% of the 2025 workforce, or around 206,000 additional workers over the five-year period, with the UK construction workforce forecast to reach around 2.68 million by 2030. Tim Balcon, CITB chief executive, said the outlook highlights where skills demand is expected to grow and offers evidence to guide workforce and skills planning.

Procore also pointed to Government figures showing almost one million young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). The Office for National Statistics estimated 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were NEET in April to June 2026, a rate of 13.0%.

The Government reforms

The young people surveyed have already passed through school before the Government's planned technical pathways for 14 to 16-year-olds take effect. The Prime Minister's Office announced the pathways in July 2026, saying students from Year 10 would be able to combine core academic subjects with technical education, with an ambition to begin rolling them out from September 2028.

The Department for Education followed on 23 September 2026 with plans for vocational GCSEs, naming Building and Construction among possible subjects. The department said the qualifications would be the same size as GCSEs and nationally set, available in some subjects from as early as September 2029. It also said 16-year-olds would be able to take the first V Levels, in Education, Finance and Digital, from September 2027, and that work experience under the reforms could include time in construction companies.

Miles said the pathways were an opportunity for the next generation but that progress needed a joined-up effort from educators, policymakers, industry bodies and employers. He said the industry could not afford to wait for those long-term changes to deliver results.

"Employers need to reach today's 16 to 20-year-olds directly, through work experience, visible role models and showing them the technology they would actually use on the job," he said.

Procore describes itself as a technology platform for every stage of construction, with more than three million projects run on it across more than 150 countries. In June 2026 the company said its common data environment would launch first in the UK and Ireland before expanding across EMEA, and that it had set up a UK Data Zone, with an EU Data Zone planned for autumn 2026.