UK Ministers Urged to Use Minecraft and SimCity to Get Young People Into Construction and City Planning

Could world-building games lead young people towards careers in construction and civil planning?

The UK's Built Environment Committee believes they could. Following its inquiry into young people and the built environment, the Committee has urged ministers to use popular games such as Minecraft, SimCity and Assassin's Creed to encourage more young people to pursue careers in construction, planning and the wider built environment sector.

Why Gaming Could Inspire Future Builders

Lord Gascoigne, Chair of the Built Environment Committee and a self-confessed gamer, believes games that allow players to build and explore cities can help young people engage with the world around them while introducing careers they may never have previously considered.

The Committee found that today's children and young people are the most digitally connected generation in history, making video games a natural way to introduce concepts such as architecture, construction and urban planning. It also concluded that early engagement through schools and outreach programmes can challenge stereotypes, raise awareness of career opportunities and strengthen pathways into the built environment.

'If we want to tackle the so-called NIMBY vs YIMBY debate, if we want to grow the economy and build more homes, if we want people to feel they are shaping their own communities, then looking at ways of engaging and involving young people is an enormous step forward,' Lord Gascoigne said.

Interest Is Only Part of the Challenge

While the proposal is an innovative one, generating interest is only part of the challenge.

The recommendations come as the UK faces a growing skills shortage across construction and planning. Around one-third of construction workers are aged 50 or over, while nearly one million people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training.

According to Business in the Community, access to apprenticeships is becoming 'more competitive, more fragmented, and harder to navigate', particularly for young people without strong professional networks. This suggests that a lack of interest is not the only obstacle. Even when young people want to pursue careers in the sector, getting through the door can be difficult.

Experts have also pointed to construction's long-standing image problem. Many parents and carers remain more familiar with university pathways than vocational careers, meaning young people may never fully understand the progression, earning potential and long-term opportunities available in the industry.

Games Alone Cannot Close the Skills Gap

Video games may help spark curiosity about careers in the built environment, but they cannot solve the structural barriers preventing young people from entering the workforce.

One in five firms have reportedly cancelled projects because they could not recruit enough qualified workers, while apprenticeship opportunities remain limited across the UK. Reports have also suggested that apprenticeship funding is sometimes used to upskill existing employees rather than create new opportunities for school leavers and young jobseekers.

The Committee's proposal is a step in the right direction. Using games to introduce children to planning, construction and design could inspire the next generation, but without greater investment in apprenticeships, improved careers guidance and clearer pathways into the industry, turning that interest into long-term employment will remain the bigger challenge.