University leading the way to fill skills gap
Wednesday 16 January 2008
The University of Surrey has been praised by a leading professional body for its work in filling the skills gap within the engineering and construction industries.
According to the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE’s) ‘State of the Nation’ report on capacity and skills, the UK is experiencing a skills ‘crunch’. It is currently a boom time for the UK construction industry, with major projects like the 2012 Olympics and the Hindhead tunnel underway, and the construction industry will need up to 12,300 new senior construction professionals to join each year, until 2011, if it is to meet demand for major projects to benefit the public. Employers are therefore desperate for enthusiastic graduates to hit the ground running when they enter the world of work, and for any training courses that they send their existing staff on to be as relevant to the industry as possible.
ICE’s report highlights two innovative ways that University of Surrey is working with industry to ensure that its graduates have the both the academic knowledge, and broader skills to fill the skills gap.
The university’s scholarship scheme is helping a new generation of students enter the civil engineering profession and equipping them with real-world skills and networks to face the challenges of the future. The scheme provides both substantial financial support to students and excellent industrial links through the 27 companies which support the scheme. In addition, the report commends the innovative approach taken with the university’s Transport Planning and Practice MSc. The University of Surrey coordinates, facilitates and regulates the training which is fully validated and accredited, while industry provides the direction and focus for the programme, along with all the lecturers and assessors.
ICE Regional Director, John Laverty, said: "The work that the University of Surrey has done provides an inspired solution to a specific skills shortage, with the university and companies working together to unblock a problem that neither side was able to address alone. It shows that fresh thinking, commitment and teamwork can make a real difference to our future."
Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk