Download the diploma prospectus here.

Constructing Excellence Midlands is preparing to commence the latest edition of its Diploma in Collaboration in Construction, set to be delivered through a unique partnership with industry teaching platform the Supply Chain Sustainability School.

CE Midlands is preparing to commence the latest edition of its Diploma in Collaboration in Construction, set to be delivered through a unique partnership with industry teaching platform the Supply Chain Sustainability School.

Ten course tutors from the likes of Bowmer + Kirkland, Freeths and the NHS will be imparting their knowledge through the course, which will cover topics including the Value Toolkit, designing for the environment and collaborative forms of contract.

The classes and coursework will be delivered virtually from April 2023 until January 2024 thanks to a partnership with online construction education platform Supply Chain Sustainability School, utilising the organisation’s expertise in delivering learning experiences to construction professionals.

David Emery, project manager of offsite and digital and market lead for Wales at the Supply Chain Sustainability School, will also be delivering the module on digital and offsite smart construction.

David said: “The 2023 edition of the Diploma in Collaboration in Construction promises to deliver sector-evidenced learning opportunities pertinent to the construction industry. We are similarly altruistic by design to Constructing Excellence Midlands and have created a streamlined learning experience for candidates to take part in classes, complete coursework, as well as communicate with their tutors and peers.

“We have more than 190 organisations subscribed to the school who have helped to feed into the content of our courses, including the 20 biggest companies in the UK, the top ten housebuilders and major infrastructure organisations. Tier one companies need to collaborate to be sustainable and through education they are inherently making a massive contribution to developing smaller organisations and creating visible traces of competencies through supply chains.

“We are a very wasteful industry with approximately only 40% of projects delivered on time. I will be delivering my perspective on how offsite construction can become the norm to bring about improvements to this. Likewise, the construction industry has been slow to embrace technologies but, by creating more digital leaders who understand the significance, we can collectively upskill our teams instead of relying on the next generation to bring this knowledge.”

Academically benchmarked by the University of Wales Trinity St David, the course aims to create and educate the next generation of leaders, as well as encouraging new behaviours, positive disruption and technology-led approaches. Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of Constructing Excellence Midlands, said: “This year’s diploma looks to build upon the great success of the previous edition to inspire a culture of collaboration in construction. As an excessively fragmented and adversarial industry, our substantial partnerships with the Supply Chain Sustainability School and module leaders are a novel approach to professional development in construction.

“From our industry surveys, we can see there is a will to work together to deliver consistent solutions, with education tools such as this diploma having a large part to play to create this shift – which I do believe will open up significant opportunities to enhance collaboration in the construction industry.”

Constructing Excellence Midlands promotes best practice and collaboration across the Midlands construction industry. The Diploma in Collaboration in Construction costs £2,500 plus VAT per delegate.

The Diploma in Collaboration in Construction costs £2,500 plus VAT per delegate. For more information, please visit www.cemidlands.org or download the diploma prospectus here.

Despite decades of research into the barriers faced by female professionals, there remains a lack of gender diversity in the construction industry. This research aims to investigate the existence of a ‘concrete’ ceiling by identifying the barriers to progression which exist for female construction professionals.

This study into the experiences of 20 middle and senior construction professionals suggests that these barriers hinder achievement of gender diversity within the industry and removal of the barriers could help to address the skills shortage

You can read Nikita’s full document HERE

 

On Tuesday 28 March 2023, experts from the structural timber sector will come together at ThinkTank in Birmingham to address timber’s use in the construction industry as a versatile and natural material undergoing a contemporary design resurgence.

The groundswell of interest in engineered timber is driven by both technological advances and concern for the environment and sustainable construction practices. It is undergoing a ‘revival’ where it is used in widespread applications delivering high-quality architecture to the realisation of cutting-edge structural engineering.

The event will be chaired by Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive – CE Midlands and will shine a spotlight on the ‘best of the best’ in structural timber, featuring stellar guest speakers from the Structural Timber Awards winners, highly commended and finalists.

Tickets are on sale now!

Tickets are £145+VAT per person and include entry into the conference for up to 4-hours of CPD content, 2-hours of exhibitor networking, lunch and refreshments throughout plus access to the speakers presentations post-event.

To claim a 15% discount, use promo code CEMIDLANDS www.structuraltimberconference.co.uk

This month Martyn Jones examines the challenges facing leaders and learners as we look to benefit from the new technologies and ways of working that are coming our way in the new paradigm. He also reflects on what we have learnt in our response to the last paradigm shift that might be helpful to us now.

Given the immediate difficulties and turbulence we face (according to Glenigan construction starts in the fourth quarter of 2022 slumped to their lowest level since the first Covid lockdown), it might be seen as presumptuous to be asking leaders and learners to take a longer-term view.

But we need to keep our eyes on the wider, longer-term picture if we are to benefit from the paradigm shift that is surely coming. As in previous shifts to a new techno-economic paradigm, effective leadership and learning will be needed to encourage and support the change, capitalise on the opportunities, and overcome the barriers to progress.

Here are some suggested key actions we might look to taking as leaders and learners.

We might start by disrupting our own thinking, developing a greater strategic view of the construction market and the wider operating environment. Alongside this, cultivate our understanding of the change that is coming and its likely impact on our organisation and the sector of construction in which we operate.

Disrupt the thinking of those around us within our own organisations but also those in our project teams and supply chains, whilst reassuring them about the need for change, the benefits it can bring, and persuading them to join the process of change.

Recognise the importance of the readiness and preparedness of oneself, but of others too, and provide learning and development opportunities for individuals and teams to improve skills and knowledge and change behaviours.

Deploy digital technologies, including AI, to enhance decision-making, increase quality and productivity, improve communication, and build greater openness and mutual understanding.

Unlock its potential to realise value throughout the whole project lifecycle, from feasibility through design, procurement, manufacturing, construction, operation, asset management, and reuse and recycling. And more fundamentally, to help finally transform our operating system and business models.

Further flatten any hierarchies in our organisations and project teams and empower employees and partners to provide more direct and open communication to enable greater knowledge sharing and support creativity and innovation.

Build a culture of quality-based continuous improvement and pride in our work, rejoicing in the contribution we collectively make to the economy and the quality of lives, and reversing our race to the bottom.

Strive for and finally achieving gender balance in construction to access more talent, introduce new thinking to foster collaboration and innovation, and help address the changing demographics of the workforce.

Some of us are old enough to have lived through the last paradigm shift sparked by the Latham and Egan reports back in the 1990s. It is important that we take forward the lessons from this previous attempt at transformation.

What are the biggest lessons? Here are three to reflect on: collaboration, having a sense of purpose and urgency and an appropriate leadership style.

We have finally come to recognise the importance of collaboration but we still often underestimate its complexity in construction. Although it has become one of the most frequently used words in the industry today it is still probably the least understood. And given the specificities of construction we may have set ourselves targets for collaboration and integration that are unrealistic given the short-term inter-organisation relationships in much of construction.

And most of us have now come to realise that it takes time, patience, and perseverance to nurture, develop, and sustain the trust necessary for collaboration within – never mind between – organisations. Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result.

There needs to be a great enough sense of purpose and urgency. We often fail to convey the need to look hard and critically enough at our competitive situation, technological and organisational trends, behaviours, and our all too often disappointing project outcomes. Without purpose and motivation, people do not actively participate in the change process and the outcomes are disappointing.

A new techno-economic paradigm requires new styles of leadership. We are still too wedded to the authoritative “command-and-control” management style, which demotivates people, increases stress and suppresses initiative, engagement, and innovation.

Whereas, at the other end of the leadership spectrum, coaching focuses on problem solving and learning and helps create a culture of high performance. Characteristics of this culture are collaboration, empowerment, and fulfilment. It is underpinned by clear skills and ethics which include trust, partnership and collaboration, belief in potential, intention and meaning, active listening, and learning.

You can now access funded training with the Retrofit Academy!

Through the BEIS Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition, we are able to offer partial funding up to 70% with match funding required based on employer headcount.

We need to retrofit 27 million homes across the UK in the next 27 years to achieve the UK Government’s net zero targets! Join the retrofit challenge and make a difference.

Helping learners understand labour market information can be tricky! It’s a dry subject, often presented using graphs and charts. At the end of summer 2022, the Black Country careers hub asked groups of young people what employers, sectors and jobs they knew about that were on their doorstep.

They were unable to speak with any real knowledge, this was despite many of the schools achieving 100% on the labour market Gatsby Benchmark, obviously this information is not being digested and recall of information is poor.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

Why Retrofit Career Development?

Helping learners understand labour market information can be tricky! It’s a dry subject, often presented using graphs and charts. At the end of summer 2022, the Black Country careers hub asked groups of young people what employers, sectors and jobs they knew about that were on their doorstep.

They were unable to speak with any real knowledge, this was despite many of the schools achieving 100% on the labour market Gatsby Benchmark, obviously this information is not being digested and recall of information is poor

We want to produce a resource that’s easily identifiable by our young people and provide local labour market information in a way that is memorable and has impact.

How?
Through the Jobs Live Channel, we will be running a series of engaging pre-recorded broadcasts, led by local, young people, visually showcasing employers in each of the four Black Country Boroughs. The broadcasts will be presented by relatable role models, they will interview employers and physically take learners on a tour of Black Country businesses, highlighting the variety of roles and range of businesses representing different sectors.

When?
The broadcasts will be taking place during National Careers Week (w/c 6th March). Each borough will have its own 45 -60-minute broadcast. We’re working in partnership with CMA
Video to help us film, edit and project manage this important work. Majority of the filming will take place in January 2023.

How can my organisation get involved?
If your organisation would like to be involved, please contact kelly_stackhouse@blackcountryconsortium.co.uk Content wise, we may ask you to help us
prepare for:
• Staff interviews (particularly young people and apprentices)
• Filming of your premises
• Action shots (people doing things)
• You may already have footage we could use or edit e.g. an intro video to your
business
• You may want to involve your comms / marketing colleagues to assist with this
Interested? Please confirm you are happy to be connected to Matt at CMA Video, they are
helping us manage the project.