Closing the gap

Probably nothing you haven't heard before – getting more and better people into the industry, training them, moving away from cost-led specification, learning new skills while hanging onto the traditional ones.

We are living in a period of change for the construction industry. It needs to happen, but it means that we feel like we're standing on shifting sands. Nothing is the same as it was, so there is confusion over responsibilities. There are also new jobs springing up, leading to questions over who advises clients on Part L compliance or energy targeting.

These changes in the industry are also causing gaps. Firstly, gaps between where we are and where we want to be (or should be). The construction industry has been given its goals by Egan, by the Strategic Forum, and other bodies. How do we bridge that divide? Some have latched on to things that ought to be done, and are paying lip service. So we also face gaps between what we say and what we do. This has lead to cynicism over important issues such as partnering and integrated working.

For building services engineers, one of the most significant gaps is between the reality of their job and the perception. Poor image leads to low graduate intake, and also affects what value clients place on our work. We are, said one of our panel, a 'grudge purchase'. Oh dear.

But I don't want to start the year in a pessimistic frame of mind. One of the most important aspects of our round table discussion is that there was a real meeting of minds. There were no disagreements on the list of core problems, and only a few on possible solutions. We have a lot to do to improve the way our industry works, but this is a strong starting point – agreement and focus. We should take this thought with us, and the list of key actions points, into the New Year in the spirit of achieving something positive.