The construction education skills gap: Training the next generation

How well are we training the next generation of construction professionals, and encouraging greater diversity? What skills are most in demand among industry employers? We share the findings from our recent webinar.

A positive, proactive attitude and a willingness to learn are key soft skills for graduates entering the workplace, explains Helen Taylor, Director of Practice at Scott Brownrigg.  It’s also important to be able to present and communicate an idea, whether hand drawn or in software.  She also explains that increasingly, knowledge of software packages - such as Revit, which is becoming an industry standard - will give candidates a competitive advantage when applying for positions. Knowledge and understanding around digital design are also highly valued, she says. In particular, the integration of information into a digital context, sustainability, project management, and core technical skills such as health & safety and materials and their use.

Empowering students to challenge norms

Through the acquisition of knowledge and skills, education should empower students to challenge norms, believes Professor Robert Hairstans, Founding Director of the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) at the New Model Institute of Technology and Engineering (NMITE). Employers should provide safe spaces for graduates where they can communicate ideas, share the latest research, challenge, and learn from the colleagues, says Lindsey Richards, Vice President of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Head of Planning at Homes England.

We live in a world of unprecedented social, economic, and environmental challenges, says Alex Whitcroft, Director at KIN, and core team member at Climate Framework. ‘We need an education system that enables a broad base of people to participate in tackling problems... We teach children and adults to remember and produce far more than we teach them to question’, he says. Creative courses, such as architecture and other design disciplines, encourage independent thinking, but arguably, we often don't go far enough, he adds. ‘We need to teach people that education, knowledge, and skills (and the abilities to learn, listen, and to teach others) are tools of resistance, democracy, and power. And we need to instil in people the ability and desire to wield those tools.’

Increasing diversity and interest in the professions

Diversity and attracting young people into construction is a pressing concern. ‘We can talk all we like about solving the world's problems, but actually the majority of people - at the global or international level, or even in our local communities and neighbourhoods - are systemically excluded from the discussion,’ believes Alex Whitcroft. The cost and length of higher education is a barrier to many, he says. He is in favour of opening up vocational routes and cites - Germany’s system as a good example. He also feels this builds respect and collaboration between craftspeople and the professions.

There is value in short courses that bring together people from different cultural backgrounds at different stages in their career, where they can learn from each other, extols Robert Hairstans. He cites the NMITE Timber Technology Engineering and Design short courses as an example. Sharing knowledge and the collaboration of individuals with varying skill sets leads to better outcomes, he says. One person, for instance, may be good with tools, but not at design and detail, or execution, and vice versa.

One organisation that is helping increase diversity and attract young people into the professions is Scale Rule, mentions moderator Professor Tim Ibell, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Design, University of Bath.

Construction isn't one of the top professions being promoted in schools, notes Lindsey Richards. Part of her role at RTPI involves helping to introduce construction into the early stages of curriculum at junior schools. An understanding of the different professions and disciplines would help formulate early interest in construction careers, she states. Helen Taylor says ‘Engaging with young people in schools about the built environment professions is incredibly powerful - demonstrating to them that they can have agency and influence on the world around them’.

Collaboration and communication

With multiple professions involved in construction projects, interdisciplinary collaboration is a necessity in an environment dealing with issues that are of both current and future significance. Robert Hairstans would like to see educators offer more industry engagement and immersive learning experiences, so students learn by doing; applying the practical skills they have acquired to industry challenges. There is a knowledge management exercise, he says, in learning what the industry wants and what educators need to do to allow learners to learn.

Communicating with communities by breaking down complexities, listening and understanding their aspirations, providing feedback and explaining what professionals can deliver will result in better local engagement, says Lindsey Richards.  For regeneration, the softer skill sets are also important as regeneration is more than just about environmental or economic issues, a holistic approach and dialogue is required as well.

Making retrofit a priority

Alex Whitcroft says education isn’t just about what we teach, but also what we (educators and society at large) teach people to celebrate, be passionate about, and hang their self-worth on.  We talk about tackling retrofit and doing social good ‘but we celebrate star architects’ and ‘big shiny buildings’, ‘and that's where all the awards are,’ he says.  Tackling the climate emergency and the retrofit challenge isn’t just about improving what we teach on the curriculum, but the whole culture of reinforcement that we build around our education system, he argues.

Historically, says Helen Taylor, there has been a habit among architecture schools of focusing on new build, when what we often need are people who can work with existing buildings and make the best of them. While new build still needs to be taught, there needs to be a place for different discussions and different viewpoints to be expressed. Teaching needs to encourage greater understanding of the value of making a positive impact over designing the building that will get your name in lights, she says.

Universities have been poor in regarding retrofit as being at least as important as new builds. Isn't it time to turn that round? concludes Tim Ibell.