Six in ten UK adults aged 18-34 are interested in jobs that could allow them to emigrate, yet almost half are unaware that a career in the skilled trades could offer opportunities to work overseas, according to new research.

The study from MyBuilder.com, the reliable way to hire tradespeople, shows that more than a third of UK workers are interested in exploring careers that will allow them the chance to emigrate to other countries. However, the study also revealed that despite this desire, 41 per cent of Brits were not aware that a vocation in the skilled trades could offer this opportunity.

In the 18-34 year old age group, a staggering 60 per cent of respondents stated that they would like to explore jobs that would allow the possibility of emigration to countries such as Canada and Australia. Yet 49 per cent of this age group did not know that working in the trades was a strong choice for this aim.

Residents of Yorkshire and Humberside were the most interested in exploring careers that allowed emigration, with 54 per cent of all respondents stating they would consider this. Those in London were close behind, with just over half (52 per cent) saying that emigration was interesting to them. But generally, whatever the region, at least 40 per cent of respondents stated that careers that would take them abroad were appealing to them.

MyBuilder.com has been a long-standing champion of the trades as a career choice. After conducting a study last year on attitudes around the trades as a vocation, it ran a further survey to ascertain whether attitudes were beginning to change.

The results showed that a fifth of all those asked stated they had considered retraining as a plumber, electrician, or other skilled trades, in the younger demographic this rose to 34 per cent. The industry has historically struggled to recruit women, and while female respondents were still slightly less likely to consider the trades than male respondents, a promising 19 per cent said they had considered retraining in this sector.

The research also showed concerns around the rise of AI, with 50 per cent of men and 46 per cent of women asked were worried about the impact AI would have on their careers. 

This concern, however, grew further when people considered the impact AI might have on their future careers. More than half of all those asked (51 per cent) were worried about how AI would affect their future career opportunities, and this rose to 62 per cent of those aged 18-34.

Andy Simms, from MyBuilder.com, said the findings highlight a disconnect between career aspirations and awareness of the opportunities the skilled trades can provide.

“Skilled trades are in high demand across the globe – it’s not just the UK that has a shortage of tradespeople.

“Our research shows that the majority of young people are interested in emigrating – and yet almost half aren’t aware that the trades offer that opportunity. It seems that more education is needed to inform Brits of the options this sort of job can bring with it.

“Working in the trades – whether at home in the UK or abroad – offers a variety of benefits as a career. And with growing concern around the impact of AI on future jobs, it’s also clear that many people are looking for careers that offer long-term security. Skilled trades can provide that stability.”

For more details on the MyBuilder.com Skill Shortage report, visit: https://www.mybuilder.com/blog/skills-shortage