CIBSE announces plans to improve links with education

The Chartered Institute of Building services Engineers (CIBSE) has announced a new industry education and training group designed to help bridge the gap between educators and employers in the building services sector. The group will provide a forum for discussion, enabling strategies to be formulated on education and training.

The main aims of the group are:

• Fulfilling the needs of industry by improving the quality, number and knowledge of students

• Supporting the needs of universities and colleges through the sourcing of students, industry panels and lecturers

• Promoting opportunities within building services for children at 14 years onwards.

Doug Oughton, Past President of CIBSE and interim chairman of the new group, commented: “There are too few children setting their sights on a career in engineering and this is putting pressure on courses and degrees in building services. Employers are similarly affected by skills shortages of qualified building services engineers to the detriment of the UK’s construction industry. Whilst we can’t change things overnight, we can cooperate on sharing information and experiences to formulate long term strategies.”

The group has the support of CIBSE patron companies, many of whom are major employers in the industry. Any company or individual interested in joining the group should contact: Samantha Mc Donough at CIBSE on 020 86755211 or email: smcdonough@cibse.org.