Member Article

‘If it aint broke don’t fix it!’

John Hardy, managing director, Portland Consulting Engineering, talks about his frustration with what he calls the “academic-led” approach to training in the construction industry and why it’s failing.

Whilst I am not against progress per se, I am a great believer in the saying, ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’, not least when it comes to engaging with school leavers, encouraging them to think about a career in construction and training them in the time honoured way.

With a career spanning 47 years, I have survived a number of recessions and with each one witnessed a shrinkage in traditional training opportunities. Additionally with support from the Construction Industry Training Board for apprenticeships almost diminished, both have had a hugely detrimental effect on the skills base within the UK.

Construction in general and in particular my own field of structural engineering design, is a highly skilled operation, requiring an understanding of the behaviour of very different and complex materials coming together to form a completed building or structure. Understanding this huge subject fully, cannot be gained from the classroom, a text book or a piece of software.

The best construction professionals, in my opinion, are those who have entered the work place straight from school and worked alongside time- served, experienced designers who have mentored them whilst benefiting from first-hand experience working on live projects and overcoming the challenges there- of.

Sadly very few of this particular breed of people are around now, with the preference for most young people being the university route, where they spend up to seven years studying to obtain academic qualifications, sometimes without even setting foot on a live site, rather than enter industry.

In addition to this, the Institutions, led by academic influence, have increased standards to levels that require students to enter university and achieve an MSc qualification, before they can become chartered.

The impact of a good learning environment is evident with the constructors also, because at site level, I feel that there is a common lack of knowledge in terms of reading and interpreting sometimes complex drawings.

We hear a lot about Modern Apprenticeships however, but without help and support from the Government the cost, especially to smaller companies such as Portland Engineering Consultancy, in the current climate, is impossible to bear.

What should we do?

Capture the imagination of young people and encourage them to consider construction as a long-term career by offering them the opportunity to earn and learn straight from leaving school. This will allow the experienced construction professionals to pass on their knowledge and their passion for their particular specialism, before they retire and it’s too late!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Grant .