Industry leaders must revolutionise built environment education rather than relying on government intervention, writes Peter Barker, partner, Ryder Architecture
The challenge
The built environment faces the same challenges as the rest of our economy – the climate emergency, global socio-economic volatility, rapidly evolving technologies, and skills shortages in the race for growth and resilience.
But there are other significant hindrances unique to our sector – from disjointed professional structures and fragmented procurement to slow technology adoption, lack of integration, and overcomplexity in education systems.
Despite many attempts by government and industry bodies over the last quarter century, these remain unresolved.
These factors are set against rapid changes in the built environment, driven by advancements in technology, regulations, and processes aimed at combating climate change, boosting productivity, and achieving output targets.
Combined, they manifest in symptoms such as low productivity, poor collaboration, adversarial behaviours, low innovation and investment, recruitment shortages, and high attrition.
Initiatives for change are often undermined by short-termism and reactive behaviours.
The 2024 Moore-Bick report on Grenfell reveals the culmination and consequences of these failures in competence, legislation, behaviours, and contracts and exposes their catastrophic effects.
For too many years, we have been tinkering with solutions. Too many short-term training initiatives are not joined up and miss target demographics, and education pathways are difficult to navigate, leading to the dissipation of funding and investment with little impact.
The reintroduction of apprenticeships and recognition of the essential value of employer-led work-based learning have been positive changes.
Professional and registration bodies are also shifting their emphasis to competencies rather than learning duration, recognising the need for a joined-up approach, effective mentoring, and lifelong learning.
Any rumoured defunding of apprenticeships at this level seems counterproductive. We need to build on this momentum, not constantly reinvent the wheel.
What is hindering recruitment of our future workforce?
Careers in the built environment have often been poorly understood by wider society. Misconceptions and ignorance sometimes lead to a focus on traditional manual job functions and lack of recognition of the highly diverse range of expertise and experience now in demand in the sector.
As a result, career advice given to young people has often been misinformed by lack of knowledge and obsolescent stereotyping.
Employers must also accept their responsibility to engage with schools and learning providers to raise awareness of their functions and needs and correct misconceptions.
Too many employers expect learning providers to deliver candidates ready-made for their businesses without engaging in a two-way conversation on the competencies required and future sector needs.
Progress has been made in this area in the last ten years, with many role models from diverse and previously underrepresented communities on successful career paths as a result of these changes and who can tell their stories.
What works and how can it be improved?
These seemingly insoluble issues demand a radical response with sustainable impact.
Rather than focusing on technology, legislation, and process, a more fundamental and robust solution is needed – one that fosters collaboration between built environment employers and education to create a new generation equipped with modern skills who are resilient, embrace innovation, and thrive on teamwork.
The new government white paper “Invest 2035: The UK Modern Industrial Strategy” recognises that severe skills shortages need to be addressed if we are to meet demand in our growth sectors and create equity across our regions.
If built environment employers are going to secure their workforce of the future, they must take matters into their own hands rather than waiting for government policy and funding handouts.
Industry led initiatives can make a difference but often slip below the radar. The DesignEngineerConstruct! (DEC) schools programme is an excellent example. Another is PlanBEE – a cross disciplinary higher apprenticeship based on rotational salaried placements – founded in 2016 by a group of employers led by Ryder Architecture in Newcastle in partnership with Gateshead College.
It now also operates in Manchester, and London, with an affiliated scheme in Vancouver. Collectively, the 70 sponsor employers involved have invested over £4m of their own resources and in return secured over 100 talented young people into professional careers across many disciplines in their businesses – people who are empowered, enthused, and equipped with skills for our rapidly changing sector.
“If built environment employers are going to secure their workforce of the future, they must take matters into their own hands rather than waiting for government policy and funding handouts.”
Ryder and a growing group of like minded employers believe that cross disciplinary work-based higher apprenticeships are key to transforming built environment professional education, and are developing this model into an expanded degree apprenticeship to support industry needs and widen opportunity and inclusion.
We have already seen encouraging results globally from transformative education models embracing interdisciplinary, work-based approaches – in Finland and Germany, cross curricular models break down subject based compartmentalisation and explore real world challenges from multiple perspectives.
Actions speak louder than words – rather than debating in endless talking shops, this proven education template shows that employers and educators together can make a real difference.
We are calling on industry leaders, clients, education institutions, and professional bodies to build on this proven success and recognise that education is at the heart of the future of our industry.
We can combine our strengths to revolutionise education in the built environment while broadening inclusion and opportunity to access untapped talent. We must equip the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and resilience to tackle today’s complex challenges and ignite a new generation of inspired and dynamic professionals considering a career in the built environment.
The new cross disciplinary model will catalyse real, lasting transformation in our industry. As chair of the trailblazer group for a Level 6 degree apprenticeship in design, construction, and management, Ryder, alongside employers such as Arup, Laing O’Rourke, Vinci, Berkeley, and Hill Group, is leading the development of this qualification, building on the proven success of the PlanBEE apprenticeship.
Ultimately, we want employers and educators to invest in this transformative approach by providing job opportunities and adopting this apprenticeship, with government recognising it as a national template.
Employers and educators have the power to drive this transformation to achieve the right skills for a sustainable pipeline of talent equipped for the future.
Peter Barker is a partner at Ryder Architecture
