Constructing the Future Summit plots the path for regional skills and jobs

Exeter College joined forces with the construction industry on Friday 14 November for the inaugural Constructing the Future Summit at Sandy Park, Exeter. The summit focused on strengthening collaboration between education and industry and tackling the sector’s pressing employment and skills challenges in the South West.

Hosted by the College and supported by Exeter City Council’s Strategic Prosperity Fund, the event attracted close to 200 attendees and featured 15 exhibitors from across the region. It saw housebuilders, industry experts, education leaders and public sector officials, alongside an international delegation from Nepal and representatives from the British Council, come together to share experiences, discuss future plans and explore ways of delivering major construction projects in the region.

Delegates heard keynote addresses from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and Homes England, who underlined both the scale of opportunity and the sector’s urgent need for a skilled workforce to meet Government housebuilding targets. They were also joined by Year 6 students from Exwick Heights Primary School who received a standing ovation for presenting their Towns of the Future vision.

With three new towns earmarked for Exeter, Bristol and Plymouth, hundreds of thousands of new homes will be built in the South West in the coming years. The additional large infrastructure projects earmarked for the region are expected to create significant opportunities for young people and adults to access the construction sector.

Exeter College is uniquely positioned to educate and train the next generation of site-ready workers and the professional construction roles needed to complete these projects. The College offers over 20 construction industry courses, including apprenticeships, T-Levels and full-time courses. With over 1,500 learners on programme, it’s making significant contributions to closing the skills gap in the construction sector.

The College has also recently been awarded Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) status by the Department for Education, recognising its high-quality curriculum, student and employer engagement, and close industry ties. Exeter College will support the co-ordination of the region’s response to the challenges in the construction industry with regard skills.

Mike Blakeley, Executive Director of Future Skills and Apprenticeships at Exeter College, said:

“The South West has a fantastic opportunity to set the example for delivering successful housing and construction projects, and Exeter College is proud to play a key role in developing the talented workforce needed to make that happen. But for the sector to succeed, collaboration between education, employers and industry is absolutely vital.

“This summit was a brilliant example of that collaboration in action. Bringing together nearly 200 delegates and 15 exhibitors from across the region, alongside an international delegation from Nepal and the British Council, shows the scale and ambition of what’s happening here in the South West.

“With some of the highest numbers of construction apprentice applicants in the UK and our newly awarded Construction Technical Excellence College status, Exeter College is in a strong position to deliver exceptional training and to work with employers to provide the right programmes and career opportunities young people are looking for.”

Joe Wharton, Assistant Director, Homes England, said:

“There are huge infrastructure projects being delivered here in the South West, which are driving a further demand for homes, and three new town candidates proposed by the Government in the region that could provide tens of thousands of quality homes in sustainable communities.

“The South West is driving innovation in housing across all scales, and some projects in this region are being held up as nationally significant in their production. To deliver these, we need talented people coming through, so making sure there’s a pipeline of young, skilled workers to become the industry experts, replacing those leaving the sector, is absolutely crucial so we can continue to build.”

Peter Sadler, Managing Director, Vistry Group South West:

“We have a massive building program in the UK, and the demand for housing in the South West is as high as probably anywhere else in the country. The numbers are growing and growing, and with that the career opportunities are also expanding. As an industry, we need to act now to get more young people into the sector as quickly as possible and upskill them so they’re ready to deliver for tomorrow!

“Having a variety of training courses available to young people is really important. Exeter College has that and by working in partnership with them and our skills academies, we have a great opportunity to build and grow, and help provide the opportunities young people are looking for.”