Tom Jones speaks to Caitlin Talbot six months into her quantity surveying apprenticeship. Caitlin shares her experience about working on interesting projects from the start and how she balances studying for a degree while in work. Caitlin is an apprentice at Bailey Partnership and on completion will obtain a degree from University College of Estate Management (UCEM).
G4C South West are passionate about encouraging young people to consider a career in the construction industry and this podcast is a great listen for anyone wanting to understand more about the opportunities for apprentices.
All G4C podcasts are also available on Apple podcasts and Spotify by searching “Generation for Change”.
Please share with anyone you think might be interested!
Welcome to the latest G4C podcast – An Insight into Development and Delivery: Ellie’s Apprenticeship Journey
For this month’s episode of the G4C CESW podcast series, Francesca Lewis chats with Ellie Chissell, Development Apprentice at McCarthy Stone, the UK’s developer and manager of retirement communities. She runs through her experience on rotation through land, development, commercial and construction teams, her choice to specialise in Development, and advice on how to search for and get involved with apprenticeship opportunities.
The July 2022 G4CSW podcast is live! Listen to Olivia Moorey of Coreus Group chat to Kane Hibbard, director of groundworks company C Squared Construct.
Kane has 10 years experience in the construction industry, and the recurring theme throughout his podcast is the ‘variety’ the industry has to offer. Whether this is in terms of technical skills (from heavy plant/machinery to hard landscaping), the types of projects (such as commercial business parks, residential developments, and remedial works), or the general variety each day at work brings (both on and off-site).
A fantastic listen for understanding more about the role of groundworkers in the construction industry.
Kane also gives some brilliant advice on how we can attract the younger generation to the construction industry. In particular, Kane suggests re-vamping the work experience scheme, so instead of learners spending 2 weeks in the same role, they spend slightly longer (e.g. 6 weeks) spread across different roles (e.g. 6 roles). This will maximise learners’ exposure to the working world, and ultimately help them make a decision about where to take their career.
Please share with anyone you think might be interested in joining the industry, and would benefit from hearing more about the variety of roles and opportunities available.
This podcast is also available on Apple podcasts and Spotify by searching “Generation for Change”.
The Green Construction Advisory Panel at Exeter College is creating a pack of Top Trumps. This will consist of around 30-40 young professionals in construction across a range of varying roles. The aim of this is to showcase the large variety of job options that are available within our industry.
These Top Trumps will then be sent off for printing and issued to schools in the South West to try and encourage young people to consider a career in construction. They are looking for around 40 people.
If you are interested, please can you respond to Olivia olivia.moorey@coreusgroup.com with your name, role, company and email.
This is an initial sign up to the project which is very flexible as the organisers are hoping to work around anyone that is keen to sign up in order to get a variety of as many roles as possible and they understand that everyone has very different schedules.
We do hope that you will be interested in taking part.
When I opened the October 2021 newsletter, I was the newly appointed chair of Generation for Change South West (“G4CSW”), a sub-group of CESW. I used this opportunity to introduce G4CSW, and briefly explain our strategy and its aims. Hopefully by now you are familiar with our key agenda item: to help address the diminishing labour supply in the construction and engineering industry.
I’d like to open this July 2022 newsletter, therefore, with a quote from a recent product availability statement issued by the CLC: “price inflation and a diminishing labour supply are now of greater concern than product availability in most construction sectors”. It’s excellent to see key players in the industry also turn their gaze to the issue of the diminishing labour supply, particularly given the challenging landscape the industry has been navigating as a result of (multiple) unforeseen crises.
Although we cannot take credit for CLC’s prioritisation of this issue, I’m going to use this opening statement to update you on the fantastic progress G4CSW has made over the last 9 months:
- Podcast series: We have released 13 podcasts, where we have interviewed inspirational individuals in the industry about their passion and the vast range of roles (and career routes) available. We want these podcasts to reach teachers, learners/students and parents, to help learners/students make an informed decision about the career opportunities available in the ever changing the world we live in. We are collating a list of schools/colleges throughout the South West who we can share the podcast series with, and so if you have any direct contacts we can add to this list please let me know.
- Future Skills Theme Group: CESW re-jigged its theme groups earlier this year to include the Future Skills theme group. The Future Skills theme group has aims aligned with G4CSW. We attended the first 2 theme group meetings to discuss the agenda for the group, and we look forward to working with everyone involved.
- Constructing the future report: We helped produce the Constructing the Future report (link: New construction report reveals how to breathe new life into ageing industry – Constructing Excellence SW). The report looks at the current recruitment problem within the industry (and its aging workforce), and the barriers which discourage young people from pursuing a career in the industry. The report contains several recommendations to help encourage the next generation to get involved with the industry, which G4CSW are helping to implement.
- Breakfast events: We have hosted 2 breakfast networking events in Bristol and Gloucester. The aim of these events was to spread the word of G4CSW, discuss our strategy and agenda, and establish a ‘pool’ of G4CSW contacts who we can call upon to assist with careers events at schools/colleges etc. We have 2 more breakfast events planned in Exeter and Truro this year. Our plan is to roll out more regular networking events simultaneously across the South West next year.
- Existing initiatives: We have been researching existing initiatives in the South West who are already working hard to address the diminishing labour supply. We have begun to team up with them on events. For example, our G4CSW contacts will be presenting their projects to a large group of students at the Battle of the Builds event in Exeter on 15 July 2022. Our G4CSW contacts will also be taking part in the Green Construction Panel’s pack of ‘Top Trumps’.
If you have any young professionals in your business who would be interested in becoming a G4CSW contact, whether that is to attend our networking events or take part in careers events with students/learners, they can sign up using the following form: G4C South West Sign-Up Form (office.com). We suggest they follow us on social media as well: Twitter (@G4Csw), LinkedIn (@G4C South West) and Instagram (@g4csw).
Myself and my committee are also more than happy to discuss G4CSW direct if anyone has any specific questions.
Hopefully by next time I am asked to update you, we will have even more good news to share!
Katie Pickering chats with Nicola Allen, Building Surveyor at DA Associates Consultancy Limited.
Nicola talks through her early career as a Radiographer and her transition into the construction industry, along with her views on the ageing workforce and recruitment of the next generation of construction employees.
Constructing Excellence South West is celebrating the tenth episode of its Generation for Change construction podcast.
Organised by G4C South West (G4CSW), the professional voice of young people in the UK built environment, the podcast series was launched almost 12 months ago to encourage careers in construction.
Each episode offers listeners an exclusive insight into the different roles available in the industry, and showcases how they can progress, featuring interviews with senior leaders and managers in the sector.
G4CSW is committed to helping develop the future leaders of the industry, by showing talented young people the range of opportunities that could lie ahead of them.
“With almost half of employees in construction aged between 45 and 65, more needs to be done to attract younger generations to one of the UK’s biggest industries,” explains Lizzy Painter, Chair of G4CSW.
“We need to change the perception of our industry from a male-dominated world that involves working long hours in unpleasant conditions, to a more attractive future prospect for younger generations.
“To make a real difference and encourage young people to take up a career in construction, we need to offer an inside look into the industry to show that the job prospects and professional possibilities are endless – and the podcast is a great way to do this.
“We spotted an opportunity to create something new which would help change the negative perception of the industry. We’re incredibly proud of the podcast series and can’t wait to keep offering valuable content to those who are considering pursuing a job in construction.
As a newer regional group, G4CSW has been rapidly gathering momentum this year by engaging and working with the younger generation. The team has not only hosted the podcast but has also organised a series of events across the South West to help tackle the skills shortage in the sector.
For more information about the G4CSW’s activity and how you can get involved CLICK HERE
