Offsite construction
is going mainstream with the biggest expansion in teaching materials so far.
CITB has agreed
£1.2m funding for two projects that will increase the skills capacity for this
growing sector in education, for school leavers and among industry trainers.
As a result of this
investment, industry and education will have free access to a range of
standardised, innovative and blended learning materials.
Trainers in
education and industry will be able to upskill themselves in offsite
manufacturing and construction, alongside an outreach programme for secondary
schools to show a new generation the career opportunities involved.
The projects are
being led by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), and the
Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
Offsite construction
is the manufacture and assembly of construction components ahead of
installation onsite.
Research has shown
that offsite or modular construction can increase productivity and reduce
timescales and build costs compared with traditional methods, with nearly half
of employers expecting to use offsite techniques within the next five years.
The projects will be
pioneering a collaborative approach involving employers, providers, contractors
and leading innovation organisations that will bring new, free, innovative
training materials to industry.
CSIC will help
establish an offsite construction competency framework, while both projects
will draw from existing training materials and industry knowledge to create the
new content, mapping it to current training and qualifications.
Teaching support and
upskilling programmes for offsite trainers will be developed, with sessions
taking place across the country to upskill trainers in key offsite roles and
functions.
Steve Radley, CITB
Strategy and Policy Director, said: “Offsite construction creates a range of
exciting new skills needs and opportunities, including in assembly, digital
technologies and installation. We’re looking to build these into training at
both entry level and also to enable upskilling within the industry, because
getting this right can mean a more multi-skilled, diverse and productive
workforce.”
Rohan Bush, CSIC
Head of Public Partnerships and Future Workforce, said: “It is time to think
differently about construction, because carrying on as we are is simply not an
option – our industry needs to modernise. Offsite construction can efficiently
deliver a high quality, mass-customisable product that is technically advanced,
offering social, environmental and economic benefits. It can speed up the
construction process, lower the impact of adverse weather conditions on
projects, and reduce costs while also improving safety. But to ensure that
offsite becomes mainstream, we need a workforce with the necessary skills – and
that’s where these projects come in.”
The MTC's Ian
Buckingham, construction skills manager, said that developing offsite
construction capability is a key priority to address poor productivity in the
sector and also to meet Government housing targets.
He said: "The
primary purpose of this project is to develop the capability and capacity of
the construction industry training network. This will be achieved through the
development of a common and consistent set of training materials that are
freely available for trainers, and through the upskilling of existing and new
trainers. The MTC is at the forefront of emerging technologies, productivity
and efficiency and we are very pleased to provide the construction training
sector with the support it will need to drive construction forward."
Materials developed
will be for use in classroom, virtual or immersive, and practical experience
environments.
On completion of the
project, to ensure there is the widest access to these training materials
partnerships have been formed with the National Open College Network (NOCN);
Structural Timber Association; Laing O’Rourke; Transport for London (TfL); the
Construction Wales Innovation Centre; Class Of Your Own; Ministry of Building
Innovation and Education; City of Glasgow College; and Edinburgh Napier
University’s Institute for Sustainable Construction.
Through their
networks resources will be available to major contractors, their supply chains
and more than 600 education and training providers in England, Wales and
Scotland.
