Professor David Oloke, head of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Anglia Ruskin University, discusses the importance of training in addressing the UK construction skill crisis
The built environment is a major economic powerhouse in the UK, generating £568bn in Gross Value Added (GVA), or 24% of the national total, supporting 3.8m jobs, and accounting for two-thirds of the UK’s manufactured capital. The sector, which includes architecture, planning, construction/manufacturing, real estate, and consultancy, contributes more GVA than financial services and the creative industries combined, highlighting its importance in the UK.
However, the sector has a range of challenges affecting not only productivity but also the training providers that support the industry with the pipeline of talent. A shortage of skilled workers in the built environment poses a risk to future growth and the ability to meet demand for new housing and infrastructure.
What issues face training the next generation?
One of the key challenges surrounds fragmentations, with the built environment sector having a whole range of sub-sectors and occupations. Professionals in built environment include:
- Design and planning: Architects, landscape architects, urban designers, and transport planners.
- Engineering: Civil engineers, structural engineers and building services engineers.
- Construction: Construction site managers and various trades like bricklayers.
- Surveying and management: Quantity surveyors and project managers.
- Environmental and sustainability: Ecologists, environmental scientists, and professionals focused on green infrastructure.
This diverse group focuses on a wide range of projects, from individual buildings to entire urban landscapes and transportation networks. Together they are increasingly being asked to embed elements of sustainability and decarbonisation, innovation, and societal health and wellbeing into their working lives.
Due to the complex nature of the built environment, there are significant challenges in equipping future professionals with the necessary skills to adapt to the technological and environmental changes we’re experiencing.
Addressing these requires an approach that integrates digital innovation, sustainability, diversity, and lifelong learning into education and professional development. The following are challenges that education and training providers and key stakeholders need to consider in the design and delivery of educational programmes.
Technological disruption
There is a need to accelerate the adoption of BIM, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, digital twins and other technological advancement associated with the advancements from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, where the focus will be more on sustainability, resilience and human centric systems. Curricula updates and industry collaboration will need to be adopted to ensure graduates are industry ready.
Sustainability and net zero
Built environment professional will need to learn how to deliver low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure, requiring training in carbon accounting, circular economy and climate adaptation and aspects of curriculum will need to address this.
Digital and traditional skills integration
Future built environment professionals will be integrating and gradually taking over for an aging but highly experienced workforce. Retiring experts risk the loss of tacit knowledge and therefore structured mentoring and knowledge capture are critical for continuity.
Complex project delivery skills
As projects become larger and more interdisciplinary, core skills such as project management, commercial awareness and stakeholder engagement need to be taught effectively. Future built environment professionals may be specialists in specific areas, but knowledge of these competencies will be needed to execute complex projects.
Global talent competition
International demand for built environment professionals challenges mature economies to attract and keep skilled professionals through global exchanges and policy support. Mobility of skills will be an essential part of the work readiness of the future built environment professionals, and the curricula will need to continue to evolve to prepare graduates for this.
Diversity and inclusion
Underrepresentation of women and minorities continues to be rife. This will stifle innovation and growth, and needs to be tackled by targeted outreach, scholarships and inclusive leadership.
Curriculum and accreditation reform
Slow evolution of professional standards hinders alignment with industry needs. However, outcome-based frameworks and fast-track approvals can help and should therefore be adopted.
Lifelong learning and upskilling
Professionals will need to continually upgrade and update their knowledge. Continuous professional development must therefore be flexible and incentivised to keep professionals current with evolving technologies and practices.
Balancing technical and human skills
Future built environment professionals will need to have more rounded skill sets. Curricula must therefore emphasise leadership, ethics, communication and resilience alongside technical mastery to prepare the built environment professionals for tackling complex societal challenges.
How education providers can adapt
At the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Anglia Ruskin University, our strategic approach to training encompasses the various modes of traditional, hybrid and work-based delivery through Degree Apprenticeships. This integrates industry participation and flexibility, and the school is also developing transnational partnerships that will contribute to the training of built environment professionals in other countries.
More and more, Higher Education Institutions are embracing challenge-led learning, industry set live briefs and work-based learning amongst several models of training delivery.
In the longer term, education providers will need to adapt their curriculum to embrace advanced materials, climate adaptation, AI-driven design and resilient infrastructure delivery, and balance technical ability and human-centric skills such as ethics and stakeholder engagement.
There will also be the need for the UK and other mature economies that are recognised as centres of excellence in sustainable infrastructure education to keep exporting knowledge, training, and innovation to developing regions. These longer-term goals will foster the development of a resilient workforce for the future.
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