Construction professionals are being recruited to support college students through a new mentoring programme designed to strengthen links between industry and education.
The Impact Ambassador pilot, developed by Construction East and funded by the Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC), will see industry practitioners share their experience with students and guide them through simulated construction projects.
The programme forms part of CTEC’s £100m initiative to train 40,000 people across the UK by 2029. It comes as the Department for Education urges experienced construction professionals to consider teaching in further education to help address a shortage of trainers and meet the sector’s growing workforce needs.
First Impact Ambassador
The first Impact Ambassador is Sean Burnett-Kiernan (pictured), a quantity surveyor at Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP), who will mentor T-level students at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds. The students will work through a simulated project covering design, sustainability, construction sequencing and risk.
Burnett-Kiernan joined DCP as its first apprentice in 2018 and has since qualified as a quantity surveyor. He is now working towards chartered status and has helped develop the consultancy’s carbon assessment service.
DCP has also taken on five apprentices and supports early-career development through its Juniper Foundation, which promotes mentoring, knowledge-sharing and outreach to students.
Louise Reeve, Impact Ambassador programme lead and trustee at Construction East, said the initiative aimed to bring education and industry closer together by giving young people access to professionals with practical knowledge and experience.
CTEC director Liv Bradley said the commitment of businesses and individuals was vital to helping students understand the breadth of opportunities available in construction.
Five colleges are participating in the pilot: Suffolk New College, College of West Anglia, City College Norwich, Cambridge Regional College and West Suffolk College.
