Jade Sandhu, Group People Director at Measom, speaks to David Crowson, Editor, about her impressive rise within the business, her positive impact on the wider sector, and the importance she places on people and site-based experience in shaping an understanding of construction, as well as attracting and developing the next generation of talent.
When speaking to Jade, it was clear from the outset that she is a very confident young woman with a strong passion for people and a clear commitment to developing talent, widening opportunity, and strengthening long-term career pathways in our sector. Jade explained to me that when she joined Measom in 2021 as a Human Resources (HR) Assistant straight out of university, she knew very little about the construction industry. However, having already completed a placement year with the retailer Joules, she had already discovered the value of practical experience and developed a passion for working with people.
She said: “Like many people outside the industry, I had little understanding of what drylining involved or the role it plays in modern construction.”
Learning from the ground up
Jade recalled that one of her first experiences on site was visiting Battersea Power Station with the Managing Director at Measom, Andrew Measom. As someone who had never worked in construction before, she remembers feeling slightly overwhelmed by the scale of the project. She said: “What struck me most, however, was not the building itself but the sheer number of skilled people working together to make it happen. Seeing the coordination, expertise and craftsmanship involved, it was impossible not to be impressed.
“The visit to Battersea Power Station also taught me an important lesson that has stayed with me throughout my career. Construction businesses are built on people, and if you want to understand the business properly, you need to spend time where the work happens. The best learning comes from walking projects, speaking to operatives and understanding the realities faced by operational teams. Only then can you truly appreciate what our industry does and the people who make it happen.”
Jade explained that, less than five years later, she became the Group People Director and that the journey has reinforced her belief that construction offers genuine opportunities for those who are willing to learn, ask questions and embrace new challenges. She noted that throughout her career, her focus has always been on people. She said: “Early on, I learned the value of asking questions and putting your hand up for challenging tasks. Growth happens outside your comfort zone, and it is a principle I have tried to apply throughout my career while encouraging others to do the same.
Building awareness and talent across all backgrounds
Jade and I discussed her thoughts and solutions to the challenges facing the industry. She explained that when she entered the finishes and interiors sector as an outsider, she quickly became aware of a challenge that often goes unnoticed. Most people know what a plumber, electrician, or bricklayer does; very few understand what a dryliner does. Yet drylining is fundamental to modern construction and plays a critical role in the successful delivery of projects. She said: “That lack of awareness has consequences. When young people do not understand a profession, they are unlikely to consider it as a career. At the same time, our sector continues to face significant workforce shortages.
“From a people development perspective, the challenge is not simply attracting talent; it is raising awareness of the opportunities available within our sector and making career pathways more visible, accessible, and easier to understand.
“My passion for addressing these challenges extends beyond my role at Measom. As Chair of the FIS Skills Board, I work alongside employers, manufacturers, training providers, and industry stakeholders to develop practical solutions to the skills challenges facing our sector. This experience has reinforced my belief that attracting, developing, and retaining talent requires collective action across the industry.”
Jade recalled that one of the projects she is most proud of has been helping to develop apprenticeship pathways within the drylining sector. She said: “Apprenticeships remain one of the most effective ways of attracting and developing new talent within the industry, despite ongoing challenges such as funding constraints, retention difficulties, and changing perceptions among young people.
“However, attracting people is only part of the solution. We also need to show them where their careers can lead. This is why, at Measom, we have worked to develop a Level 3 Drylining Apprenticeship programme. By bringing together employers, manufacturers, and industry bodies, we have demonstrated a genuine appetite for creating clearer progression routes and developing the future supervisors, managers, and leaders our sector needs.
“Construction should not be viewed as a fallback option. It is a highly skilled profession that offers significant opportunities for development, progression, and long-term career success.”
Jade commented that alongside apprenticeships, she had also explored alternative talent pools, saying: “Some of these initiatives had delivered encouraging results, while others have highlighted just how much work remains to be done.”
Explaining more about the alternative talent pools, she commented that she had interviewed prisoners preparing for release and believes this remains one of construction’s most underutilised pools. She had also been involved in initiatives designed to encourage more women into drylining.
Talking about these initiatives, she said: “Not every work trial resulted in long term employment, but those experiences reinforced the importance of understanding and addressing the practical barriers people face before entering our industry.
“For example, when discussing how to attract more women into drylining, it is important to acknowledge practical considerations such as manual handling requirements, site welfare facilities and
workplace culture. If we are serious about widening participation, we need practical solutions that remove barriers rather than well-intentioned assumptions.” Passionately, Jade described one of the most significant changes she had witnessed during her time in the sector as the shift in expectations around recruitment and career development. She said: “Today’s workforce, particularly younger generations, increasingly seek purpose, progression and development opportunities alongside a competitive salary.
“As employers, we have had to adapt our approach by investing more heavily in engagement, communication, and structured development pathways. The positive outcome is that more businesses
are beginning to focus on long-term talent development rather than simply filling vacancies.”
The challenge we must solve next: AI, apprenticeships and the next generation
We discussed how much of the conversation around construction’s skills shortage focuses on what the sector lacks. However, Jade strongly believes we also need to consider what it offers. Jade explained that, as someone who started her career in HR, she can already see how technology is changing many of the tasks that traditionally formed part of entry-level office roles. At the same time that skilled labour shortages continue to grow, artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape the wider employment market.
Many of the roles young people have traditionally viewed as career starting points — such as onboarding, data entry, and administrative support — are likely to be significantly transformed in the coming years.
“I worry that young people are not always being given a full picture of how technology may reshape traditional career routes and entry-level opportunities. “In this context, skilled trades offer something incredibly valuable: stability, tangible skills, long-term demand and opportunities for meaningful career progression. “This convergence of AI disruption and labour shortages presents a significant opportunity for our sector. It is one of the reasons I am so passionate about our Level 3 Drylining apprenticeship programme, which helps create a structured route into a skilled and rewarding career.
“By showing young people the journey ahead, we can make construction a compelling alternative to increasingly uncertain white-collar career paths,” commented Jade.
She however, noted this challenge extends beyond employers. Parents, teachers and policymakers must also play their part, valuing apprenticeships as highly as university degrees. If we are serious about addressing future skills shortages, we need to rebuild the status of apprenticeships and skilled trades. At a time when many young people are questioning traditional career routes, construction has an opportunity to present a compelling alternative.
People are the future of drylining
Jade concluded by saying: “Almost five years after stepping onto my first construction site, I still occasionally think back to that experience and how little I understood about the industry at the time. I remain convinced that our industry’s greatest challenge is also its greatest opportunity.
“Buildings, technology and materials will continue to evolve, but our success will always depend on people. Whether through apprenticeships, alternative recruitment pathways or greater industry awareness, the future of drylining will be determined by how effectively we invest in the next generation. It is a challenge I am proud to help solve.
