Construction industry initiative

The Learn Direct and Build initiative (LD&B) aims to consolidate a blended and e-learning network for the Scottish construction industry.

It involves a group of partners, including CITB-Construction Skills, learndirect scotland and the Glasgow Metropolitan College (formerly Glasgow College of Building and Printing) and all other Scottish Colleges offering construction and construction-related courses and training.

This is the first time in Scotland that such a range of partners has come together to develop and deliver innovative construction skills development, and the initiative is an excellent model of partnership working and securing funding.

The purpose of the initiative is to identify, create and deliver electronic and blended learning provision in construction sector-specific actual and virtual learning centres to:

• demonstrate the advantages of relating to a digital, smart, successful Scotland to the construction sector
• upskill the Scottish construction industry
• encourage individual construction companies, including small and medium enterprises and micro businesses, to develop competitiveness, sustainability and growth
• support individual employers to develop management, leadership and enterprise skills
• persuade employees to engage with and buy into lifelong learning and continuing professional development
• assist new recruits to access learning as a prelude to entering the construction industry
• further social inclusion by helping individuals gain construction employment related skills
• break down the barriers of geographical isolation
• strengthen local communities by helping to create a strong local economy

Delivery of LD&B will be through a limited number of drop-in learning centres throughout Scotland and, most importantly, one virtual learning centre.

The virtual centre, based at Glasgow Metropolitan College will serve all Scotland’s colleges and will use learndirect scotland’s Skillnet and other appropriate e-learning platforms. Advice and support from employers and their active involvement in the partnership will be essential to the development of both actual and virtual centres.  

Partners in Learn Direct and Build Initiative are:

• CITB-Construction Skills
• Employers
• Glasgow Metropolitan College
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Historic Scotland
• Scottish Building
• Scottish Enterprise
• Scottish Qualifications Authority 
• learndirect scotland
• UHI Millennium Institute

LD&B online and blended learning provision focuses on areas that are essential to large and small companies, including sub-contractors, such as:

• health and safety
• supervisory and management skills
• craft level learning
• repair and maintenance
• core skills
• entrepreneurial, leadership and business start up skills.

National and professional qualifications based on occupational standards are available to learners where appropriate and assessment will be available online.

Throughout the sector, approximately 75% of all firms surveyed identified barriers to training. Cost is the biggest barrier, closely followed by the inaccessible location of training and the time when training is offered. 

All the research reports recommended developing new ways of training such as the use of online learning to make training more accessible and cost effective by increasing take up and thus reducing the cost per unit.  E and blended learning is a flexible and cost effective way of delivering the necessary additional knowledge.

LD&B development funding comes mainly from the partner organisations.