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As another university year begins and another influx of fresh-faced undergraduates begins the journey to obtaining a degree, fewer and fewer are starting that journey in construction. Last year the industry made a lot of noise about how desperate the situation was, but it's not getting any better. According to the Higher Education Funding Council, as many as 40 construction courses could close this year.

The good news is that the industry, universities and government are finally getting their act together to improve the situation. After a crisis summit in January, the Construction Industry Task Group was formed to carry forward the education agenda (see Construction Manager, March 2001). And after a meeting in July with Department of Trade and Industry and Department for Education and Skills officials and more than 20 university vice-chancellors, some progress seems to have been made.

The Chartered Institute of ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, for example, has set out plans for an MSc to convert non-construction management graduates into members, starting in 2002. The first foundation degrees in construction-related subjects begin this month at the University of Central England, the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Northumbria, St Helens College in Merseyside and Nottingham Trent University. Eight other institutions are also considering developing a foundation degree.

Job club
The Construction Industry Training Board, along with 19 top construction firms including Laing, Willmott Dixon and Carillion, is launching a job club based around a website to attract high-quality graduates, called designajob.co.uk.

The aim of the site is provide a focus for graduate employment, so employers can post details of sponsorships, work experience, graduate training schemes and jobs on the site, and graduates can apply online. But Marike Koppenol, who is project manager of designajob.co.uk for the CITB, says that the site aims to provide more than just job adverts. "We want students to use this site throughout their university life. As well as the jobs, students can research project information put on the site by companies. We will also provide industry news so they can keep up to date with what is going on.

"We have launched with the first 19 companies, but we aim to involve other organisations in the industry, such as professional institutions, local authorities, universities and training organisations, as well as more businesses," she says.

"Our first priority is to keep students studying on construction courses in the industry when they qualify," Koppenol adds. "But in future we will be looking to target school and college leavers, to encourage them onto construction degree courses."

The site is free for graduates to use, but employers pay an annual fee to post their information. It is due to be launched next month to coincide with National Construction Week (October 15-21).

A call to action
The Construction Industry Council is starting its campaign this month to target higher education institutions, companies and professional institutions using the "Call to Action" targets that were formed at the Making Connections workshop in January (see factfile).

Shelia Hoile, director of education and professional development at the CIC, says that all the plans are now under way. "We are building up frameworks and support structures so we can go to the three audiences we need to address – employers, universities and professional institutions – and they can't complain that there is nothing available to help them meet the targets. For example, we are developing a framework for employers when taking students on work experience."

The CIC is also developing a framework for a graduate apprenticeship scheme. This is a course that would be a mixture of practical and theory work for graduates of other degrees that incorporate similar skills, such as geography, economics or business management. Says Hoile: "The industry has traditionally not been broad enough in its focus when looking for graduates. Certain degrees teach similar skills sets to construction degrees. The graduate apprenticeship would give non-cognate graduates the chance to learn on the job and in the classroom the other skills they require."