AUDIO NEWS: Citizens Advice handles 37,000 complaints about building work, and kids start time capsule project

Citizens Advice handles 37,000 complaints about building trades, Gen Zers join the trade for the career opportunities and children get involved with roofing work

Citizens Advice has been flooded with more than 700 complaints a week about tradespeople.

The advisory body handled nearly 37,000 grievances concerning home maintenance and improvements in the past year. 

The building trades accounted for over 12% of total complaints in the UK.

Grievances about roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs were the most common, making up over a fifth of trade-related issues, followed by problems with loft conversions and renovation work.

Citizens Advice recommends consumers contact trade associations and local councils to find reputable traders.

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Gen Zers are joining the building trades for its career opportunities — that’s according to a survey from B&Q.

The poll of Gen Z tradespeople found that nearly a third joined the industry so they could ‘channel their entrepreneurial spirit’. 

A similar number wanted to own their own businesses.

The data also showed that 44% of Gen Z tradies had a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, compared to just 12% of ‘baby boomers’, who typically entered the industry through a traditional apprenticeship.

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School kids have created ‘time capsule’ roof tiles as part of project work at their local school.

Pupils at the Alfred Sutton Primary School in Reading, decorated the backs of the titles with pictures of children’s hobbies, pets, and computer game characters.

The tiles will be used alongside 65,000 others, as part of the re-roofing work.

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