Adrian Montague is Director of Academy at Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and is committed to developing the next generation of construction sector leaders through bespoke learning opportunities provided by the professional body.
In this article, Adrian talks about a new health and safety course CIOB has recently launched and the benefits its academy can provide for both aspiring and existing health and safety professionals.
Adrian Montague, Director of Academy at CIOB
In an ever-evolving world, legislation is constantly on the move. There is no ‘one size fits all approach’ in the construction sector and we at CIOB are committed to keeping on top of the latest legislation and trends – ensuring our members have the most up-to-date knowledge.
Since the introduction of the Building Safety Act (BSA) in 2022, my team and I have seen a surge in demand for courses related to building safety. While our Academy, which was first launched in 2016 – a year before I joined CIOB – already offered a wealth of building safety-related courses and qualifications, we decided it was time to go one step further.
That’s why I am thrilled to introduce our new Building Safety Act Awareness e-learning course, dedicated to ensuring learners are aware of their own and other duty holders’ responsibilities.
Plugging a significant gap
Produced by Equans, the BSA awareness module touches on many different aspects of the built environment, the new bodies created, and what it means for the many different roles in contracting, consulting, and indeed for the small business owner and sole trader.
As one of the most important pieces of legislation impacting the built environment, introducing this course is a great way of plugging a significant gap in the skills training market and it is another fine example of how we at CIOB have continued to adapt our course offerings to suit the latest legislation and trends.
On the subject of trends, one of the biggest trends I have noticed is the complicated nature when it comes to teaching building safety. It is no secret that there are very few people out there who know all the competencies that our qualification teaches. That’s why we always use multiple trainers with different individual skillsets, ensuring we can plug the knowledge gap within the industry.
Further reading: Mind the fire safety gap – complexity versus competence
The Building Safety Act Awareness course is just one of more than 70 learning opportunities our Academy has on offer to date. While all courses are designed for a virtual audience, CIOB is more than happy to cater for face-to-face training upon request.
We offer a variety of courses related to Building and Fire safety, including, but not limited to:
- Diploma in Building Safety Management
- Certificate in Fire Safety for Construction
- Fire Safety During Construction
- Construction Management Essentials: Health and Safety
- 30-20-10: CDM: Managing Health and Safety
- CDM Regulations 2015: Fundamentals
- CDM15 Principal Designer
Since 2022, we have seen consistent interest in both our Fire Safety and Building Safety courses. Between 2022 and 2023 uptake in the Fire Safety course increased by nearly 20 per cent while we saw interest in the Building Safety course soar by 28 per cent. In total, our Academy has had more than 3,000 course bookings since 2021.
Further reading: BSR will “show its teeth” for those failing to comply with legislation – Regulator provides update to industry at the Fire Conference 2023
Feedback on all our course offerings is generally overwhelmingly positive from a content perspective, and that speaks volumes about the importance of using real industry experts for all our topics. Of course, with complicated courses like building safety, there have been one or two minor teething problems along the way, but these were mostly administrative snags and the need to ensure our courses match the constantly changing environment.
Speaking of positives, another exciting addition to our Academy has been our link with Astutis to offer NEBOSH and IOSH courses. After receiving numerous requests for IOSH and NEBOSH courses from both clients and individuals, I believe this is a very important offering which once again demonstrates the Academy is a home for all that can assist individuals at any level of their career.
Looking towards the horizon, we have some exciting plans in the pipeline for 2024, including the introduction of a new course for principal contractors – you can keep your eyes peeled on the CIOB Academy website for more information on that.
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Since 2022, we have seen consistent interest in both our Fire Safety and Building Safety courses. Between 2022 and 2023 uptake in the Fire Safety course increased by nearly 20 per cent while we saw interest in the Building Safety course soar by 28 per cent. In total, our Academy has had more than 3,000 course bookings since 2021.