July 2024

Guildford College is pleased to announce that it is leading the launch of a Green Construction Advisory Panel in Surrey. This is part of a nationwide project that the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH) has launched in collaboration with the Green Construction Advisory Panel (GCAP) to roll it out across the UK. GCAP is a member-led committee comprising of building services, housing and construction businesses, supported by government agencies, charities, and training providers across the UK. GCAP aims to promote, enhance and develop sustainable training and education opportunities for the housing and construction industries. Their mission is to close the skills gap and create entry pathways into green careers. They aspire to educate both the current and future workforce on adapting to emerging technologies, considering environmental impacts and helping the industry meet net-zero targets. Established by Exeter College two years ago, GCAP has successfully and impactfully brought together employers, training providers, manufacturers and other regional stakeholders in the South West to drive the ‘Green Skills’ agenda locally. This has created a template model which is replicable not only across the UK but also internationally, with the Nepalese Government already embedding the GCAP model into policy. To date, over thirty training providers throughout the UK have already committed to GCAP, including local authorities and charities. GCAP currently boasts nineteen regional centres who will collaborate with local stakeholders to understand more about the skills landscape and work towards action-based outcomes. The

Schools from our Trust in Exeter, Plymouth and across Devon have taken part in the annual Ted Wragg Innovation Competition at the Exeter College Future Skills Centre. Students from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 could take part in the contest which was sponsored by NOCN and Willmott Dixon. The competition organised in collaboration with Exeter College and the South West Green Construction Advisory Panel (GCAP) had this year’s themes as green living and home decarbonisation or creating a new airport or college campus from scratch.   Participants got to grips with learning about sustainable lifestyle choices and actions to reduce carbon emissions in homes or integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations into the planning, design, construction, and operation phases of their designs, supported by masterclasses from the sponsors. 16 teams from 15 schools were in attendance at the competition’s celebration event which comprised of the opening of the exhibition of students’ work,  keynote speakers and 5-minute presentations from each team followed by Q&A from the judging panel. This was followed by lunch and the award ceremony and prize giving presentation.  The Innovation Competition seeks to discover students who demonstrate an aptitude to solve complex problems in innovative ways. The competition required students to research, investigate and create an innovative solution to one of these problems. The teams’ ideas needed to be about using technology to make the world a better place.  To assist and support teams throughout their work, a series of industry sector experts hosted live virtual discussions and masterclasses ahead of the contest,