There’s no doubt that pop culture shapes the way people think, especially when it comes to interest in certain activities. The narrative for the past few years in the construction industry has been that there is a workforce shortage…that young people aren’t interested in working in construction. It’s no secret that kids love cartoons, though.
A 2015 study in the UK has made the case that nearly one-third of construction workers in the industry were inspired to work in construction by characters they watched on TV. Of the 1,947 construction industry workers that were surveyed, 31% stated that watching these characters on TV played a role in them ultimately choosing to work in construction.
Respondents were also asked to pick the cartoon character that was most iconic to the construction industry. Bob the Builder was the clear leader with 42% of the votes, followed by Super Mario (19%), and Fred Flintstone (16%).
I decided to come up with my own list after scouring the earth for all of the cartoon characters that I could think worked in the construction industry. The list, which you can see below, is based solely on my opinion, but I would also love to hear yours in the comments!
1. Teddy (Bob’s Burgers) 2. Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones) 3. Super Mario (The Mario Bros.) 4. Emmet Brickowski (The Lego Movie) 5. Bob the Builder (Bob the Builder)
After posting the Top 5 on my social media pages, a few other worthy entrants emerged, including Handy Manny, Wreck-it Ralph, and Handy Smurf. We’ll call those honorable mentions to this list.
