Building Magazine & CEWales Round Table with Rebecca Evans MS Cabinet Secretary for Economy Energy & Planning

As construction in Wales sees continuing growth, it is important to monitor progress and identify where the industry could use a boost. But there is another factor that must be considered: how the sector can continue to deliver growth while balancing other demands such as biodiversity and social value.

At the same time, there are considerations such as the country’s skills shortage and recent changes to infrastructure regulation, as well as the hoops that supply chain firms must jump through during procurement stages.

Against this backdrop, a group of sector leaders and Government officials gathered in Tŷ Hywel, part of the Welsh parliament’s Cardiff estate, for a roundtable sponsored by AtkinsRéalis and RLB last year to discuss the future of construction in Wales.

The panel, hosted by the Building the Future Think Tank and Constructing Excellence in Wales, explored how those working in the built environment can help to build both resilient communities and a strong construction sector.

Developing tomorrow’s talent

The Welsh construction sector presents exciting opportunities for skills growth, with Alan Jarvie, Director at AtkinsRéalis, saying he saw degree apprenticeships as a promising pathway to attract diverse talent, particularly from “less privileged areas.”

Taking this point further, the industry offered numerous career paths beyond traditional roles. As Andrew Pettigrew, Morganstone’s Pre-Development Director, explained: “Everybody seems to want to be a civil engineer.” He emphasised that colleges can help young people “understand the different roles you can undertake in construction.”

Michael Bool, Director at Oochitecture, pointed to promising discussions about introducing construction-related subjects at the secondary school level, while highlighting opportunities for SMEs to “give employment opportunities back to the students.”

Nick Sullivan, Head of Policy and Capability for the Welsh Government, celebrated the vibrant small business ecosystem: “We’ve got some great micro and small businesses,” he said, asking, “How do we provide the environment and the incentive for those smaller businesses to want to grow so that they become medium-sized employers in a place rooted in the communities where they’re located?”

Rebecca Evans MS, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, emphasised the power of early exposure to construction: “What’s more exciting than when you’re a schoolchild [than] going on to a construction site, putting the hi-vis jackets on and getting to see all the machinery? Those kind of community benefits can be really impactful. Because how can young people or children imagine themselves in those kinds of careers if they don’t get a chance to see them?”

Around the table
Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for the Cconomy, Energy and planning, Welsh Government
Chair: Jordan Marshall, Special Projects Editor, Building
Michael Bool, Director, Oochitecture and Chair, SW Best Practice Club
Mark Bowen, Managing Director, Andrew Scott
Gareth Davies, Construction Director, Knox & Wells
Catherine Griffith-Williams, Chief Executive, CEWales
Vince Hanly, Chair, CLAW
Alan Jarvie, Director, AtkinsRéalis
Sophie Latham, Associate, Blake Morgan and Co-Chair, G4C Wales
Paul Morgan, Regional Pre-Construction Manager, Tilbury Douglas
Andrew Pettigrew, Operations Director, Morganstone
Jackie Pinder, Managing Partner, West & Wales, RLb
Nick Sullivan, Programme Manager, Foundational Economy, Welsh Government
Gemma Welsher, Director Procurement, Willmott Dixon

The full article can be found here https://www.building.co.uk/focus/building-wales-future-industry-leaders-charted-path-for-growth-and-innovation/5132977.article