Review of Lecture Notes on Green Skills in Construction

Role at Groundwork Greater Manchester

Director of Employment and Enterprise.
Responsibilities include employment and skills provisions and landscape construction business.
Focus on building pathways into work for marginalized groups.
Emphasis on skills for the green economy.
Meeting the needs of different groups to facilitate careers in the green economy.

Groundwork Greater Manchester

Separate charity company limited by guarantee.
Member of the Federation of Groundwork Trusts (Groundwork UK is the central body).
Trusts exist across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each operating separately but with common goals.
Local operations vary based on needs and opportunities.

Mission and Objectives

Mission: Delivering a green, fair, and stronger future for people, places, and communities in Greater Manchester.
Overarching mission: practical action to create a fair and green future where people, places, and nature thrive.
Work involves individuals, communities, and improving living places.
Integrated approach with public, private, and voluntary sector collaboration.

Construction Industry's Role in Environmental Initiatives

Partnerships with the construction industry as employers for trained individuals.
Addressing labor market shortages in the construction industry.
Recruiting priority groups with positive reception from construction partners.
Collaboration in course design and delivery.

Sustainable Practices in Building and Construction

Focus on energy-efficient homes and retrofitting properties.
Addressing external urban environments, including green technology subsystems and nature-based solutions.
Contracting with the construction industry and being part of their supply chain.
Support through social value programs and pro bono contributions.
Construction industry representatives on the board.
Potential work on delivering biodiversity net gain.

Groundwork's Role as a Construction Employer

Delivering contracts in landscape construction, including fencing, groundworks, and hard and soft landscaping.
Accredited and part of the construction industry.
Potential future involvement in retrofitting work, acting as a contractor or supply chain contractor.

Evolution of Demand for Green Skills

Significant changes in the construction industry regarding sustainable practices and retrofitting.
Fragmented training structure creates challenges in ensuring the right skills.
Need for continuous training in core trade skills and additional modules for new practices.
Increasing volume of people entering the construction industry and continuous upskilling of the existing workforce required.
Course content needs to change to reflect new practices.
Certain trades require more people to allow for upskilling (e.g., electricians becoming solar installers).
Need for more multi-skilled people for retrofit projects, including heating engineers upskilling for heat pump installation.

Future Skills and Technologies

Potential role of hydrogen technology in the future, though uncertainty remains.
Increased need for individuals who understand how to maintain different technologies and help people use them effectively.
More training around flood risk management, urban cooling, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), and green roofs.
Economic drivers and investment influence the direction of skills development; concern about a potential lag.

Ensuring Standards and Meeting Net Zero Goals

Regulation and legislation are essential for the industry to respond effectively.
Procurement practices and design specifications must prioritize sustainability and carbon lifecycle considerations.
Environmental management systems is very important.
Commitment to sustainability needs to translate into supply chains and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Support SMEs through training systems due to short-term contracts.
Sustainable material choices and design specifications can be more expensive, creating challenges related to cost-cutting.

Challenges in Achieving Sustainability

Uncertainty in government policy and direction is a major issue.
Past failures, such as the Green New Deal, have created nervousness within the system.
Difficulty in planning and investing for the future due to uncertainty.
Timing the acquisition of skills for future needs remains a challenge.
New technologies and systems cost more initially.

Impact of Devolution and Local Mayors

Devolved areas with local mayors can make a significant difference.
Priorities can be tailored to local needs, e.g., retrofit in Greater Manchester.
Local decision-making informed by local needs is beneficial.
Green skills are emphasized in Greater Manchester, with net-zero targets set for 2038.
Transport and retrofit are crucial in Greater Manchester.
Central government and local authorities must work together.
Consistency in targets and policies is necessary for effective decision-making.

Need for Nimble Skills Development

Skills development needs to be more flexible and adaptable.
Smaller-scale, flexible training programs are more effective in mayoral areas with devolved skills funding.

Supporting the Construction Industry

Innovation and willingness to do things differently are present.
More support for SMEs is needed, enabling them to invest and change.
Apprenticeships are the ideal way to upskill individuals, providing on-the-job learning.
Mismatches exist between industry needs and college-based training.
Shared apprenticeships or structured programs are needed to accommodate apprentices in small businesses.
SMEs face challenges in retaining trained employees due to poaching by other companies.

Frameworks and Qualifications

Existing frameworks are not always suitable for qualifications.
Changes through foundation apprenticeships aim to create better pathways.
Financial commitment is necessary to pay wages for a fixed amount of time.
Concerns exist about taking on apprentices amid stop-start contracts.

Specific Skills for Sustainability

Early sustainability training in schools is crucial.
Communicating the importance of green careers is necessary.
Maintenance of systems will become a significant issue as more technology is installed.
Training is needed for the maintenance and repair of technologies like heat pumps.
Land-based skills, such as sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), are also important.

Understanding Technologies

Helping people understand new technologies is essential.
Layman's terms explanations are needed for residents using green technologies like heat pumps.
Training can help people maximize the use of systems for energy efficiency and cost savings.
Battery storage is another critical area.
Promoting repair culture through repair cafes and school curricula can reduce the throwaway culture.

Multi-Skilled Workforce

Multi-skills for retrofit is essential.
Individuals need competence in insulation, window replacement, joinery, and plastering.

Social Value and Diversity

Social value has changed the conversation, focusing attention on delivering social value.
Easier to engage construction industry in taking on individuals involved with the criminal justice system due to social value targets.
Meeting the needs of diverse groups is beneficial for partners.
Still a challenge to attract women into trade roles in the construction industry.
Focus should be on influencing girls when they are younger.

Work Experience

Work experience is valuable if it is good.
Prioritizing work experience for individuals without contacts, such as those in the care system.
Workplace safaris are useful but not the same as actual work experience.
Apprenticeships offer real working and earning opportunities.
Trial periods or pre-apprenticeships can help determine commitment.

Maths and English Skills

Functional maths and English skills are important.
GCSE maths is not always relevant to construction industry needs.
Creative ways to teach numeracy and literacy skills are needed.

Importance of Specific Projects and Initiatives

The Green Start project by Big Ideas is important, employing an employer-led educational approach.
Need to understand learners and tailor programs to meet their needs.
Consider the struggles some young people face in the education system.

City & Guilds Foundation

Better if employers are actively involved and programs are informed by workplace reality.
Wage subsidies and ILM programs are beneficial with the right skills package.

Career Advice

Having targeted, coordinated and creative programs.
Really important, but it has become fragmented.
Difficult to integrate the green economy into the advice provided.
Coordination of employers to provide employer experiences is crucial.
Critical to ensure that people are aware of opportunities and plan their career pathways.
Otherwise, there will be massive skill shortages within the green economy.