BSRIA Building Services Learning and Development Conference 2022 notes

[edit] Welcome and introductions. Tom Garrigan, Technical Director, BSRIA

Introduction to the two hour session and housekeeping matters.

A selection of leading industry experts are invited to provide insight into the learning & development impact of key trends and issues affecting knowledge requirements within the built environment.

Buildings offer an increasingly complex challenge to professionals involved in their design, construction, commissioning, and operation. New technology, new legislation, and new social responsibilities means that the practices of those who work with buildings need to evolve in response to the environmental, social, and economic concerns which built environment organisations are being held to account for.

New challenges require new knowledge and new ways of thinking. So where does this leave learning and development professionals in sectors like building services engineering, construction, and facilities management? For those responsible for ensuring their organisation has the skills to prosper in an increasingly turbulent future, what is to be done?

[edit] Skills to deliver buildings that perform. Ian Taggart, Post Completion Project Manager and Soft Landings Lead, Multiplex

Presentation by the Soft Landings manager from Multiplex in Glasgow, delivering a pipeline of new design and build projects for the University of Glasgow - with insights into the experience of delivering soft landings across different university projects over the past 2½ years, with a focus on stages 3 to 5.

Having started with limited experience of soft landings but 40 years of experience in construction project management, he now has a good understanding of the necessary skills required to take on this type of role and the issues involved.

The project was procured on the NEC3 form of contract, with multiple projects across an 8 hectare site. The client was fully committed to the soft landings approach and had developed their own soft landings policy for the pipeline of new buildings, which vary greatly in terms of uses and function as well as the broad range of stakeholder groups engaged.

Today it seems there is an ever increasing amount of construction documentation that is produced and provided to client teams, maintenance teams and managers of buildings, including validation and compliance, EMS, as built records, as well as health and safety files. In soft landings and in general it is important that whatever documentation there is is good quality and robust. It is also key that there is good access to that information at handover stage and post completion to ensure confidence in buildings as it goes forward.

The presenter talked about the importance of in house digital systems that capture all of the documentation and validation processes, the extensive programmes of training, classroom sessions on site, and demonstrations. The team approach has been to record and retain these as a reference point for the client, post completion in case of changes of staff etc. The aim has been to bring all of this information together so it is accessible and not filed away here and there, so there is a university one stop shop for problem solving in terms of operation.

The team invested a lot of time trying to understand the client, what’s important to them, and their drivers, soft landings managers can help that. Relationships are crucial, across the board with such a wide group of people and stock, it is important to bring people together, work collaboratively understanding each others needs. A university presents a unique opportunity because of the pipeline of projects, a chance to capture learning and take it forward into the into the next project. This builds resilience, which is key and the bigger picture helps stakeholders stay committed even when at times things can get tough.

[edit] Leadership skills to affect change and accelerate productivity. Tim Whitehill, Director, Project Five Consulting

A digital future and how we implement that from a learning and development position.

In the UK construction productivity is not actually increasing as a in the whole industry. In terms of digitalisation, the sector is behind other industries. The speaker referred to a number of reports; a McKinsey study in 2016 showed the sector is only just better than agriculture and hunting across a range of digital competencies. Another in June 2020 talked about the next normal, referencing what’s happened in the last few years since Covid, with huge changes in the way of working.

We need to understand how the industry could change, we are already noticing changes in market characteristics and from customer demands, with new dynamics existing in the industry. Digitalisation is one of the major disruptors of the sector, not only in terms of BIM but also in the way buildings work, the construction process, how we deliver products and information. This is a real opportunity, as well as a challenge, a chance to really shift the business models. See also CIT's ‘unlocking constructions digital future now’ in 2018 which gives insights into the competencies that we will need.

Digital construction means different things to different people. We now have more information flows and more data, but other sectors use that data to really harness the power of technology and get better outcomes. If we focus on competencies that will help us adapt and adopt these new technologies, it is in someways more about management science than it is about technical science.

Another report (BC ITP) describes two sets of competencies for the industry to drive towards, a flexible mindset in management science - an explorative mindset. The digital future workforce needs the right digital skills but also, business leaders need to be equipped with the right skills and knowledge to implement digital technologies and develop the competences in their business including HR processes.

The sector should map out leadership management skills to develop flexible mindsets, better understand tools and data in order to implement change for increased productivity.

[edit] Adapting CPD strategies to achieve Net Zero. Stephen Gallacher and Clara Bagenall-George, Elementa Consulting

We need to upscale, ready to develop and design buildings to reach the net zero target over the coming years. So what does net zero mean and how it can be applied to buildings? What stepping stones need to be undertaken to build competency across the industry in order to upscale? What net zero training is available to the industry?

The first and very key piece is that we don't use fossil fuels. The next key is an energy use target, if we are not using fossil fuels, we have a finite supply of renewables within the UK and we need to make sure that they are equitably distributed across the building stock. You need to have an energy limit between building types which defines the energy targets for the various typologies, including offices and schools.

Next, all energy use needs to be generated using on site renewables or if that is not feasible, due to perhaps the height of a building, then off site renewables. The last little bit of the puzzle is that certain renewables such as biofuels, have direct emissions associated with them, plus when using renewable electricity from the grid with your site renewables there are some energy losses associated with distribution, these are up stream emissions, so those losses associated with the distribution of energy, even if little, need to be accounted for and offset.

Embodied carbon is slightly simpler. This carbon is the body of carbon associated with digging up raw materials to completion on site, the total embodied carbon, lifecycle embodied carbon, carbon targets that come from the cradle to the grave. So those targets need to be met and then at completion they need to be offset, as do the emissions associated the maintenance of their use, ending up in estimating the value for and offsetting of carbon associated with the disassembly, reuse and potential disposal.

The first stage of the hierarchy is to optimise energy efficiency, so really reduce the energy demand of your building in design, optimising form factors, the shape and form of the building, the glazing ratio and so on. So that you get a balance between beneficial solar gains and natural daylight with minimal overheating risk. Then supplementing that reduction in energy demand by using super high efficiency building fabric specifications such as with many developments that are now taking routes such as Passivehaus.

The next stages are to meet that reduction in energy demand and carbon impact efficiently, in heating the space and hot water demand, we want to use low carbon heating sources, which is essential to reach net zero. Heat pumps, and electricity will be key to reaching net zero but only using renewable energy generation on site (or off site if required). The biggest impact is going to be through the design of the building which is also the biggest opportunity to make embodied carbon savings. Optimising the design of the structure and facades, selecting systems with low values, choosing lean design.

So there is a skills gap for building professionals and we need to be up-skilling everybody, that’s building services engineers, contractors, developers, facilities managers, everyone. We need to understand what it means to get all of these new and existing buildings to achieve climate targets. As professionals we need to be doing our best, making sure that we can look back on our careers and say we did everything we could to address the climate emergency. We need that clarity, and the definition of net zero carbon and what net zero means to different sectors.

[edit] The value of inter-disciplinary learning in an evermore specialised world. Richard Nash, Membership Services Manager, BSRIA

The speaker spoke of memories of the impressive Manchester Town hall, a fabulous building for research into industrial building heritage, a building with notable innovations for its day, such as a warmer heating system. Over the past 15 years the building has come to symbolise so much more in Manchester, it’s not just bricks and mortar it’s actually a symbol of city pride.

The speaker moved on to the value of interdisciplinary learning, sharing some experiences of the BSRIA training team. What is meant by interdisciplinary learning ? It is about encouraging people to have an appreciation of the perspectives and an understanding of how what we do as individuals and as teams affects other people.

A lexical mindset helps to develop ongoing, long-lasting competency. Better knowledge isn’t just helpful to an individual, success depends on working and learning together. This is the best way to meet the challenges, from individual expertise shared to the training we deliver. When we deliver on for example the soft landings approach we often have individuals from different disciplines from the same company which enriches the learning.

It is about increasing critical thinking and minimising that silo working experience, a chief goal is being able to share and promote good interdisciplinary industry practice. Learning shared is a theme found within all of our training courses as well as the net zero pathway program which is launching shortly.

[edit] Managing and organising building services CPD across a large organisation. Mary-Ann Clarke, Regional Director, AECOM

The regional director for Aecom, trained in mechanical engineering, and is passionate about the development of people, now managing and organising building services training, with insights into the challenges of organising CPD's and training across large organisations.

It became apparent there is a need for a team of people, training development champions, overseen by senior management to help create a structured platform to ensure everybody is provided for. Here an overview of the operational delivery of training, the importance of continuing professional development, both challenges and successes. Having a structured training development scheme helps attract the best talents across the industry and hopefully increases the quality of work in aiming for the right first time approach.

We want to increase staff capabilities and competencies so we can drive industry standards forward. Having professionally qualified engineers increases our chances of winning bids.

The range of learning talent programmes are designed to enhance professional and personal skills, whether an apprentice just started or a leader seeking leadership capability delivery development. The aim is to provide options to suit all stages of a career. This is now rolling out globally with a suite of development resources that are available to all employees. The Aecom university is an online software programme to help assign training courses individually, and depending on requirements new courses can be created in house.

There might be specific things coming up that as a business we need to be aware of, for example net zero, safety and ethics, so these become mandatory but we also have a selection of voluntary training courses. If training is applicable to clients we can actually get clients to sign up as well, offering clients training that we have in house. There is also a technical practice network, where, if people have a question they can they can type that in and hopefully someone else within the business can feed in and give their experience.

Manufacturer CPD's, mechanical electrical and public health was historically split on an office by office basis linked by local representatives, since COVID we found this quite difficult to organise. We found CPDs were clashing or three or four happening in one week, by collecting this all into one place we were able to get regional volunteers as a point of contact. So employees have access to weekly CPDs and central talent can be used in developing training and development schemes including the leads and the hub champions which look at the different regions.

New starters pick their institution and we offer them support, we try to get them chartered within four to five years, through quarterly meetings with mentors and we are finding that it’s definitely creating more chartered engineers than before. We also reward engineers when they get their qualifications. So staff are engaged, and encouraged also to engage with industry bodies, and to attend CPDs hosted by institutions. A number of forums from mechanical and electrical, as well as the young engineers forum, support and share knowledge, and most importantly share lessons learned, so everyone's growing, everyone’s learning and every everyone's developing.

We also support and encourage joining voluntary committees with professional institutions and councils which gives employees time to attend events.

[edit] Net zero building; Higher education and the skills of the future. Aaron Gillich, Director, BSRIA/LSBU Net Zero Building Centre

The director of a joint-venture between LSBU and BSRIA, skills of the future from a higher education perspective.

Climate change effects everything in education, so here is a look over the past decade at how the funding landscape has changed for universities. From a situation predominantly funded by councils and special international structures and frameworks, to the inverse situation which is reliant on fees for budgets. As you move down through over 150 universities, the vast vast majority are extremely reliant on relatively small amounts of research, which has changed the way we approach education.

We need to review the value proposition from the University and from the student perspective, the value for money equation as a service provider, which is linked now to the next trends in changes to the apprenticeship landscape. The UK has long history of apprenticeship training education, but with the increasing number of higher and degree apprenticeships, it was far less common to go into an apprenticeship to get a full engineering degree. Large organisations would send part timers on day release to do some training, but now with paid apprenticeships, they actually get paid for the higher degree through the apprenticeship levy.

The balance in the idea of a value proposition is for the more abstract pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, then you decide what to do with it afterwards or being tied to particular career path. The latter inevitably develops a better relationship between the sectors that they are serving, which is particularly useful for us in building services. On the ground, teaching, relevant to practice, a close relationship with employers is a useful advantage in developing a curricula in response to skills shortages.

The construction industry councils document released in 2021 questioned how professionals are going to respond to the skills gap, and the knowledge needed. Tertiary education and professional qualification requirements will need to be substantially revised to focus on environmental performance. Comprehensive training programmes for net zero delivery, alongside new building safety requirements. A much stricter approach to how we credit our courses to include stronger climate literacy across the entire career is needed.

The first test of this is the CIC climate action plan, a need to boost everything, to rise to the challenge and respond. In terms of zero we always think of 2050, but forget this requires us to do have the work done by 2030 or its going to be too late, it just can't happen fast enough.

Separately our university was chosen to trial a pilot approach in the coming years, to broaden access to higher education, whilst maintaining the rigour of the validation process. We see something is needed that sits between a full qualification and a CPD, something that can respond to the urgency of climate change. So we worked with a number of other industry partners inc BSRIA, LETI and DfE to create a pilot for a new mode of learning. Short courses to broaden access to higher education and to key knowledge areas needed by industry. So we created a group of four short courses:

1. Designing net zero buildings.
2. Operating net zero buildings.
3. Procuring net zero buildings.
4. Leadership and management for net zero buildings.

There are two major forces in reshaping higher education. The trend of commodification, towards how fees are set for academia and the apprenticeship model, turns it into a value proposition that needs to be understood. The other force is simply climate change, that touches everything and will lead to massively reshaping the curriculum over the coming years. The role of short courses is going be very important, between CPD and full programs that we can use to deliver rapid change and really make a difference.

This article is based on attendee notes of the BSRIA Building Services Learning and Development Conference 2022 for more information on any of the topics contact BSRIA directly at https://www.bsria.com

--Editor

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