Educating the Professional Team: (9 Construction Industry Board)

This report co-ordinates the delivery of various reports recommendations on the education of construction professionals, and in particular: establishes a short list of recommendations which form a coherent and deliverable proposal establishes a framework which will permit delivery secures the organisational and financial structures to allow delivery. The working group for this guide was chaired by Professor Michael Romans from the Construction Industry Council. Sir Michael Latham's vision in Constructing the Team was of a high-quality, ultimately world-class UK construction Industry with a dramatically improved productivity. Teamwork is the key. Working Group 9 (WG9) was asked to produce a set of coherent and deliverable proposals to improve the education of construction professionals as a contribution to this vision. WG9 adopted a pragmatic approach, recognising that several reports in the nineties have made a strong case for improvement but the constraints of existing funding and accreditation mechanisms and other trends in education have restricted progress. WG9 took the view that if the Latham vision Is to be realised then a staged solution is required. This report proposes the initial stages which, with rapid implementation, will provide the basis for a longer-term strategy. Degree and sub-degree level WG9 proposes a common foundation knowledge and understanding about the professions, changing roles and tasks, team working, team-player skills and group dynamics, which should be viewed as a threshold requirement for all construction professionals. Rather than an approach based on common modules, a set of learning outcomes which all construction professionals should achieve is proposed. Course providers would be free to secure these outcomes by any means, although the advantages of using mixed-discipline groups wherever possible are clear. Early and mid-career stage It is widely accepted that life-long learning is an essential characteristic of a practising professional. Continuing professional development therefore needs to build on the new common 'foundation' learning outcomes, and two broad areas are prioritised, namely teamwork and business practice. The proposed outcomes will provide the skills and knowledge necessary to enable construction professionals to undertake the effective management of construction projects and construction businesses. Implementation The Construction Industry Board has asked the Construction Industry Council to lead the implementation of WG9's report. The initial target Is for those professional bodies who accredit undergraduate programmes in the built-environment disciplines to agree that granting of accredited status will depend upon evidence of WG9's specified learning outcomes. A similar agreement Is desirable for continuing professional development where this Is recommended as a condition of corporate membership. The Construction Industry Council will also work with the non-chartered professional bodies in negotiations with national awarding bodies to include the recommended learning outcomes in their qualifications.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Current constraints Length of courses Funding Admission requirements Applicants` attitudes Attendance mode Course structure Curriculum Professional exemptions Staff Current position The proposals