A leading construction industry group have signed a deal with a local college for the first time in their history.
The Suffolk Joint Construction Committee (SJCC) signed a memorandum of understanding at Suffolk New College this week.
The industry partnership will see members of the SJCC, that was set up in 1954, commit to work with the college closely to create a line of sight for young people from education and training into employment.
This will mean that group members will be offering students work experience opportunities, site visits, industry talks, mentoring, and in some cases, companies will take on apprentices.
The SJCC brings together volunteers from the professional construction bodies in the county including the National Federation of Builders, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institution of
Structural Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers as well as representatives from the field of law and quantity surveying.
The current chair of the SJCC is Bryan Wybrow – who also represents KLH architects in Ipswich – and he was delighted to sign the deal. Mr Wybrow said: “We are all about promoting the industry across a broad range of subjects with the aim of encouraging more people into the professions we represent.
“We are really proud to have joined as an industry partner with Suffolk New College so that we can support all learners within Ipswich and the surrounding areas.
“I think today is important because getting engaged and invested in education is something we have wanted to do for a long time and that is why we are delighted to have created this formal ongoing partnership.”
Alan Burgess is the director of construction and engineering at Suffolk New College welcomed the collaboration. Mr Burgess said: “Our numbers total around 1200 young people at the moment in terms construction and engineering pathways and we are determined that these numbers continue to grow.
“Working with partners is crucial to our future plans so that we can find skills solutions to their working needs whilst also giving our learners real life experiences.
“Therefore, we are incredibly grateful to the SJCC for agreeing to join us on our journey in helping to build a better future for the UK construction and engineering industries both locally and nationally.”
Alan Pease, principal and CEO of Suffolk New College was also at this launch. Mr Pease spoke generally about the industry partnership scheme that the college offers and said: “So far, we have 136 companies who have signed up to work with us and we are excited by the opportunities that this will bring for both students and partners.
“Businesses are now ringing us to get involved and they are helping us create a line of sight from education into industry by bringing our curriculum to life via the experiences they offer.”
In terms of the SJCC memorandum of understanding, he added: “We would like to thank the SJCC who have signed up to work with us and support our learners. We now have an industry partner programme that enables our learners to realise their potential and go on and have successful careers.
“Getting the likes of SJCC and others to commit to working with us helps showcase the impact of this scheme. Therefore, we are very grateful to them, and indeed all of our partners.”
During the signing of the deal that was held in Chefs’ Whites restaurant, college bosses announced plans to launch two new level four higher technical qualifications (HTQ’s) in quantity surveying and construction management in 2025/26, whilst also laying out a vision to offer a construction related degree by 2028.
If you would like to know more about the Suffolk New College industry partner programme you can visit: Industry Partners – Suffolk New College