Creating a Talent Pipeline
This is all about attracting more people to the sector and giving them clear career paths. We seek to do this by :
- increasing our engagement with younger members through our Foundations Group https://www.ceca.co.uk/wales/foundation-group
- hosting the CECA Wales Annual Awards for our “most promising” young people https://www.ceca.co.uk/wales/ceca-wales-awards
- continuing to work with Qualifications Wales, City and Guilds and WJEC to develop and roll out the new Construction and Built Environment qualifications at GCSE, A-level and Foundation Apprentice level
- increasing our engagement with schools and colleges and developing new resources, via our Foundations Group, to support the new Welsh curriculum and utilising social value opportunities wherever possible
- supporting and promoting alternative pathways into the industry including routes for employing ex-offenders and ex-Forces personnel
- developing Civils Training Hubs in the north and south of Wales to show school and college pupils, as well as people from other sectors, what it means to be a civil engineering or plant/machinery operative.
But we’re not starting from scratch!
Here are a few things we’ve already been working on to attract, develop and value our people
We’ve always recognised that one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is attracting enough talented people, from diverse backgrounds, into the workforce to support the sector as the anticipated increase in workload materialises. And for those already in the industry we know we need to support their development and value their health, safety and wellbeing.
We work with a range of industry partners and stakeholders to develop clear career pathways and accredited apprenticeships for new entrants. Whilst there remains some way to go our aim is to provide a consistent route for site based contractors which will help us attract recruits, and persuade parents and teachers of the value of a career in civil engineering.
We’ve worked tirelessly with Qualifications Wales and other partners to make sure the new “built environment” qualifications for schools are fit for purpose and reflect the civil engineering sector. We’re getting close to seeing young people studying for GCSE’s and A-levels in this sector along with the eagerly awaited foundation apprenticeship. You can find out more about these qualifications by visiting the Qualifications Wales website : https://www.skillsforwales.wales/qualifications
And we’ve been working with partners to develop resources to support schools and colleges in Wales as part of your “social value” offerings. Take a look at CITB’s GoConstruct website to see what’s available : https://www.goconstruct.org/educational-resources/resources-for-teachers/go-construct-educate/
We’ve also increased our engagement with younger members through social media and events. We established a CECA Wales Foundations Group for younger members to increase their personal development by working on industry specific projects, engaging with the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales to help shape future infrastructure needs and supporting the CECA Wales Executive Board with a place for the Chair of the Foundations Group on the Executive Board. Follow this link for more information https://www.ceca.co.uk/wales/foundation-group
And our Annual Awards evening continues to recognise our greatest asset which is our people. Each year we celebrate the achievements of those working in our industry and our CECA Wales Executive Board has resolved to reward the highest performers in our industry in five categories :
- Most promising Apprentice
- Most promising Trainee Civil Engineer –Technician (non-Graduate)
- Most promising Trainee Civil Engineer –Graduate
- Most promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor
- Contribution to the Industry
You can learn more about our CECA Wales Annual Awards here https://www.ceca.co.uk/wales/ceca-wales-awards
And last but not least we’re still hosting our CECA Wales Leadership Challenge where applicants to the Awards are also invited to participate in the CECA Wales Leadership Challenge which is a 2-day leadership and teamworking challenge which is held in partnership with the Armed Forces. You can read more via this blog https://bit.ly/32gFe4w