The Construction Industry Council has formalised collaboration with the Built Environment Schools Trust to support future industry skills development.
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Built Environment Schools Trust to strengthen engagement between the construction industry and schools across the UK.
The agreement was confirmed during a recent CIC Council meeting. Representing the Trust were Chair William Hill and Chief Executive Terry Watts, while CIC Chair Ian Brant and Chief Executive Graham Watts signed the Memorandum on behalf of the Council.
The partnership supports sector-wide efforts to address the built environment skills pipeline and improve awareness of careers in construction, engineering, and digital construction disciplines.
Supporting built environment careers
The Built Environment Schools Trust, previously known as the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust, works to encourage young people to pursue careers across the built environment sector. The organisation focuses on outreach programmes, bursaries and collaboration with industry to improve access for underrepresented groups.
A key initiative is the My Environment My Future schools programme, developed with teachers and industry professionals. The free programme helps schools introduce built environment career pathways within the geography curriculum.
Resources are available for Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, GCSE and A-level students, providing structured content designed to increase awareness of roles in architecture, surveying, construction management and digital construction.
Address construction skills shortages
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, CIC and the Built Environment Schools Trust will collaborate on events, webinars and mentoring initiatives. The partnership will also facilitate the sharing of data and sector insights while promoting actions that reduce barriers to entry into construction and built environment careers.
Commenting on the agreement, CIC Chief Executive Graham Watts said: “I welcome the opportunity to solidify our relationship with the BE Schools Trust. Their unique work with championing the built environment industry in schools and ability to engage with secondary schools is vitally important to the future success of our industry. Important work like this helps to address the skills pipeline issue and showcase the many opportunities available in our industry.”
Terry Watts, Chief Executive of the Built Environment Schools Trust, added: “The CIC provide a unique forum where professional bodies in the sector come together, and we are delighted to be a part of it. Members of our professions expect their representatives to support engagement with schools, and we offer unique free, editable educational resources that bring careers information into the classroom, creating awareness of the opportunities in the sector and priming a larger, more diverse talent pipeline for recruitment.”
The CIC and Built Environment Schools Trust partnership strengthens industry collaboration with education, supporting construction careers awareness, improving access for students, and contributing to a sustainable skills pipeline.
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