The event, organised by Leeds Trinity University, took place in Trevelyan Square, where the University’s new City Campus will be opening in the next academic year and ran as part of the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival.

Key names in the industry, including Leeds Trinity’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Charles Egbu, whose research interests focus on project management, construction management and sustainable development, and Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammed Arif, who presented a new report on offsite construction, joined other speakers from across the country to discuss challenges facing the sector. 

The experts addressed the skills shortages in construction and the built environment and the need to build a younger and more innovative work force. This comes as Leeds Trinity University is preparing to welcome students to a new suite of programmes to be delivered at its Leeds City Campus in the 2024/25 academic year.  

The programmes will include a Construction Management BSc, a Construction Project Management BSc, a Quantity Surveying BSc, and a Construction Quantity Surveying Degree Apprenticeship, encouraging young people and professionals in the sector to develop their skills in construction and built environment. 

Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Trinity University, said: “This event has provided an opportunity to bring together members of the Construction and Built Environment supply chain. The discussion around what the industry needs to see in curriculum was hugely important and welcome. The panellists touched on the huge employment opportunities the sector can offer. 

“Our ambition for the industry to work with the University on co-creating new sets of construction programmes is great, ahead of launching our Construction and Built Environment provision for the next academic year.” 

Attendees at the event included representatives from AtkinsRéalis, Graham, Arup and AMCL (part of Turner & Townsend) and participated in rich discussions covering talent attraction and retention, developments in equality, diversity and inclusion, and the use of technology and data in driving productivity. 

Kris Westall, Director of Asset Investment Planning at infrastructure management consultancy AMCL, and one of the expert panellists at the event, said: “Today’s session was really informative and one of the things I took away is the importance and criticality of the design of construction and built environment education as part of the industry sector as a whole.

"We need to make sure that the next generation of housing and critical national infrastructure professionals have the requisite skills, competencies and behaviours to support the industry that we serve and help to build the essential infrastructure of the future that we will all rely on. It’s great to see Leeds Trinity launching a new course provision for construction and the built environment and work with organisations from industry, like AMCL, to build a sector-relevant curriculum.” 

From September 2024, Leeds Trinity will offer a new course provision in Construction and the Built Environment, alongside its successful Supply Chain Leadership Degree Apprenticeship. 

The introduction of these programmes and the new Quantity Surveying Degree Apprenticeship, brings further opportunity for research and knowledge exchange work, short courses and an international CBE offer. 

To find out more about studying Construction and the Built Environment at Leeds Trinity University, please visit the website.