I was privileged to visit South Africa recently to understand more about the education offer for built environment students.

Rosalind Thorpe, Chartered Institute of Building's (CIOB) director of education and standards, and Ntando Khuzwayo, qualifications liaison manager, both joined me for a series of meetings, talking to many of our members and gaining insights into the teaching and academic offer for construction students across the region.

I was particularly keen to understand what the links are between the industry and academia. This is especially important in the context of the global skills shortage in construction and concerns about a ‘leaky pipeline’ of students who complete their studies but do not enter the industry.

Something which struck me was how engaged and committed the students we met were. There’s a recognition that one way to maximise the chances of securing a good job is to make the most of the opportunities that a university and its community can provide.

These students are already developing their own professional networks and adding to their class-based learning to ready themselves to enter the workforce – for example, many of them have signed up as CIOB Student members and some are even part of our Tomorrow’s Leaders community.

Looking at the stops on our itinerary, our first was at the University of Johannesburg, where we were taken on a tour of the Construction Management and Quantity Surveying Department facilities, guided by the head of department, Dr Lerato Millicent Aghimien, including their 3D-printed house – which is a real innovation - and their plumbing lab.

Our meeting with other members of the faculty and some of their students also led to a discussion of CIOB’s work and an exploration of the purpose and benefits of seeking to become chartered and pursuing professional status.

We also spent time at the University of Pretoria, a CIOB-accredited centre. It was great to meet the team from the Department of Construction Economics, who sat down with us for a useful discussion on the skills needed for graduates looking to enter the workforce.  

Interestingly, it is not the technical skills (or ‘hard’ skills) that seem to be a barrier to graduates’ employability, but more the soft skills such as leadership, communications, networking and, most importantly, digital skills.

In the UK, construction students typically enter the industry with basic knowledge of key industry software tools such as BIM and CAD and this is an area where some universities in Sub-Saharan Africa could develop their offer.

CIOB will continue to work closely with education establishments and their students to support skills development so students can promote themselves in the best possible light, write strong CVs, and have basic knowledge of digital systems to help ease the transition between study and the workplace.

Our second day in Johannesburg, continuing the focus on education and early career support, started at the Tshwane University of Technology.

While with a team from the Department of Building Science we discussed key topics under the broad theme of linking industry and academia, including how to create a culture of continuing professional development (CPD), how to foster collaborations and how to support built environment academics, students and institutions.

I will take this opportunity to congratulate Tshwane University of Technology for the recent launch of its student chapter – I have no doubt this will provide more networking opportunities and knowledge-sharing, supporting students’ studies.

One of the highlights of the trip came at CIOB’s networking event, where we heard from Sisizakele Kubheka with an update on the work of our Johannesburg Hub members and our Tomorrows' Leaders community.  

Then came a discussion on industry standards and skills development, at which we were joined by president of the South African Council for Project & Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) Lufuno Ratsiku, along with academics, representatives from the Construction Industry Development Board SA, students and other industry professionals.

Our final activity was a CIOB and SACPCMP mentor speed date, allowing students to engage with industry professionals, ask questions and get insights into the realities of the industry. This is an excellent idea to support students, as they get knowledge directly from professionals, expand their networks and their understanding of the opportunities available.

In summary, there is a clear desire amongst universities in South Africa to provide a good quality of education and provide students with a clear route into the industry. The sector needs to do its best to support colleges and universities in delivering up-to-date and relevant content and then train and retain the future leaders of the industry.

As a professional body, our role is to protect the pipeline of talent coming through by creating a culture of CPD, providing opportunities for students to collaborate with industry practitioners and continue our support for academics and institutions.  

Caroline Gumble is the CEO of the Chartered Institute of Building.

Photo: Students, stock image (Source: © Michael Turner | Dreamstime)