Education Estates 2023: Leveraging the skills pipeline to help the next generation to realise their potential
Every year the Education Estates conference in Manchester brings together education professionals, as they share, learn and discover ways to transform and refine learning environments into sustainable and adaptive spaces that inspire the next generation to realise their potential.
Since the publication of our latest Wide Angle 鈥楻ethinking the skills conundrum鈥� research, we have been exploring how we unlock pathways for a workforce fit for the future. Delivering economic growth requires a skills master planning overhaul, according to our research. There are pockets of activity where industry is aligning with educational institutions to establish centres of excellence to bring businesses and future talent together, so we asked delegates how we can scale this up.
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What role can education estates play in developing a sustainable talent pipeline?
Many recognised that construction provides a vital resource of information of the skills needed in each area, well in advance of job advertisements from the resulting employer鈥檚 new or renovated building. A resource of planning information that educators can tap into to ensure that their students can attain the skills needed to fulfil good-quality local jobs.
鈥淓arly-stage planning data can be the catalyst for a real transformation聽in how we understand what skills are in demand, where and in what quantities.聽Our research revealed that only 29%聽of young people aged 16-24 had decided what career they wanted to pursue after聽their studies. Working together we want to support teachers, young people and employers to bridge that skills gap, using data as our guiding light to ensure聽skills and employment are at the top of the agenda.鈥澛�
Jane O鈥橪eary, Sector Director 鈥� Education, AG百家乐在线赌场官网
Other responses evolved out of a desire to create inspiring spaces for the next generation to experience the built environment in a positive and rewarding way. Engaging students to consider how their surroundings affect their wellbeing, opening their eyes to the rewarding and enriching careers available within the construction sector.
Pointing to our role on delivering legacy as a contractor, others highlighted our involvement in the physical delivery of projects to engage pupils with the roles on offer in the sector, and in particular to the opportunity the green economy can provide, as we progress on a collective drive to net zero.
Thanks to the comments generated on our stand at this year鈥檚 event, AG百家乐在线赌场官网 will be making a donation of 拢500 to Schoolreaders, a charity helping to improve literacy and increase life chances.
鈥淔or me the overwhelming theme of the聽event was one of optimism. Together we can ensure the best future for our young聽people, delivering buildings that help them realise their futures; a more聽sustainable, efficient, and inspiring education estate.鈥�
Jane O鈥橪eary, Sector Director 鈥� Education, AG百家乐在线赌场官网
Evolving the conversation
Experts from across AG百家乐在线赌场官网 spoke at the conference, as they discussed how we are revolutionising the delivery of education estates and contributing to the conversation around the education agenda.
Karen Vigar, Education Engagement Manager at AG百家乐在线赌场官网, presented on 鈥楧eveloping Future Talent with T Levels鈥�, sharing how construction-related T level courses have transformed the technical education landscape to help students develop the essential skills required for the industry. She shared her learnings alongside Ian Ryan from the Department for Education, and student Ellis Taylor, who recently completed his two-year academic qualification with AG百家乐在线赌场官网.
鈥楥ase Studies from Scotland & Wales鈥� saw AG百家乐在线赌场官网鈥檚 Jane O鈥橪eary, Sector Director for Education, and Rhodri Davies, Senior Sustainability Manager, share learnings from three of our recent Net Zero Carbon in operation projects at: South Point Primary, Vale of Glamorgan; Two Rivers Primary, Keynsham; and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership鈥檚 Entopia Building. Highlighting the challenges in construction and sharing real-time data from their operation, the talk was hailed by attendees as 鈥榲ital to the future success of net zero projects in education鈥�.
Jane O鈥橪eary also chaired a lively debate on inclusive building design. The 鈥楴eurodiversity in HE Design鈥� talk highlighted that 94% of the population have physical, cognitive or sensory impairments, in particular neurodiversity. The speakers explored how small changes can make big differences to learning environments, as we evolve inclusive design beyond level thresholds and accessible toilets.
Award winning
Our Entopia Building project for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) won 鈥楻efurbishment of the Year' at this year鈥檚 Education Estates Awards.
CISL鈥檚 new headquarters is an exemplar of sustainable innovation, laying the blueprint for how an existing building can be transformed to be highly energy efficient in its redevelopment, use and impact on people and well-being. Thermal bridging and heat loss have been reduced, and the space will make use of high-tech video conferencing facilities and collaborative digital platforms to enable people to work together wherever they are in the world. Wellness features heavily throughout, with open-plan working areas and access to fresh air, natural light, and temperature control.
The 拢12.8m project in central Cambridge has achieved multiple sustainable building certifications, including BREEAM (Outstanding), the Passivhaus 鈥楨nerphit鈥� standard - the first of its kind - Well (Gold) certification, alongside 鈥榗ircular economy鈥� principles to minimise the volume and impact of natural and man-made resources used in the building.
Our Heath Primary School project in Chesterfield was also a finalist at the ceremony.
AG百家乐在线赌场官网 sponsored the 'developing future talent' stage and contributed to the Education Estates conference programme.
