In this episode of The Institute talks, we talk about the exciting construction route review and the various areas that are being improved, including health and safety, sustainability and much more.

In this podcast, our host Neil Jones, is joined by route panel members Ruth Devine and Paul Skerry as well as two apprentices, Joe McGilley, a civil engineering apprentice and Shannon Maine,  bricklaying apprentice.

Ruth and Paul explore areas of the construction route review that are improving, and the vast apprenticeships available within the route. They focus on key areas, such as mental health and modern methods in construction, and how it will help the industry as well as apprentices.

The two apprentices, also share on how their apprenticeship experience has been, and ways they think the route can be better. Shannon also highlights her ambition to encourage more women to be apart of the industry.

Transcript

Neil Jones

Hello. I'm Neil Jones, senior product manager here at the Institute and your host today for this podcast about our recent construction review. I'm joined by two panel members, Ruth Devine and Paul Skerry, as well as two apprentices, Joe McGilley and Shannon Maine. Welcome, everybody, Would you like to introduce yourselves?

Ruth Devine

I'm Ruth Devine. I'm managing director of SJD Associates, electrical contractor based in Milton Keynes. I've been on the panel for five years now.

Paul Skerry

Hi I’m Paul Skerry, early years careers and professional development manager for BAM in the UK. I've been with the panel for about six months now.

Joe McGilly

I'm Joe McGilly. I'm an apprentice civil engineer working for ACORN, currently based out of Bedford. I've been in the industry for about four years now.

Shannon Maine

Hi, I'm on Shannon Maine, a bricklaying apprentice, and I started it last October.

Neil Jones

Thanks. I'm grateful you can all join me today. So to start with, a bit of background on the review. So, there are almost 100 apprenticeship standards in the construction route as well as technical qualifications. And the route review is basically an opportunity for us to take a strategic look across the route to ensure that our occupational map is correct, that the occupational standards on it remain relevant, and that the occupations and skills match the needs of employers both now and in the future. So, it's a bit of a stocktake and there are obvious benefits in doing so, but we also have a statutory obligation to do so at regular intervals around every three years or so. As part of the review, the Institute's Employer Panel for Construction developed a set of key principles and characteristics which we will talk about today that represent key concepts that employers are asked to consider for future inclusion in occupational standards. These are things like sustainability, digital skills, mental health, building safety, amongst others. So, without further ado, if I start with an open question for everybody, how do you think the review will benefit apprentices, employers and training providers in the future?

Ruth Devine

I think it's a good opportunity just to see where we are and what skills needed for the future. So, a lot's happened in the last five years and many of these standards were around before the institute existed. So, it's a good opportunity to see where are we? What's going on? The industry issues like the building safety agenda, competence, the EDI agenda, trying to make the industry fair or equal for all. And it's a good opportunity here to look at the content and make sure that the Apprentice of the future meet the needs of employers.

Paul Skerry

I think that's something that now we've moved through during very challenging times. The last two years in particular have been a particular challenge. The fact is, outside of the control of many within construction and we've learnt a lot from that, we've learnt to work in different ways but has had to face some things like mental health and a