Construction educators collaborate to shape future skills training

Teachers, employers and industry experts from across the region recently came together for the first North East Construction Educator Conference to explore the future of construction skills training.

Hosted by Sunderland College as the North East’s Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC), the conference launched with a series of online events before culminating in a full day, face to face event at Northumbria University.

Aiming to better align what is taught in the classrooms with what is happening on site, the conference created a space to share innovative practice, strengthen partnerships, and build a more connected community across the North East, all working towards raising standards in construction education.

Dr Susan Dawson, Associate Professor in Construction and the Built Environment at Northumbria University, opened the event by highlighting that projects often fail not through lack of skills, but when the gaps between trades and professions aren’t fully understood.

Her session “Teaching Beyond Your Trade: Connecting Education and Industry” emphasised the importance of helping learners understand how the wider construction team works together.

Workshops throughout the day focused on improving teaching in practice. Sessions on Artificial Intelligence (AI), led by digital learning specialist Joella Lynch, Newcastle College’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Coach Mark Stewart, and Gateshead’s Teaching and Learning Curriculum Leader Amanda MacDonald, showed how technology can support planning and engagement.

Education Partnership North East’s Carl Jones, Education and Professional Practice Director, and New College Durham Construction Lecturer Rob MacLellan, introduced the ‘SITE’ pathway for those moving from industry into teaching, while Dr Susan Dawson and teacher educator Chris Warlock explored the transition from trade expert to educator.

Further sessions covered apprenticeship delivery, skills benchmarking through WorldSkills-style testing, and staff development through mentoring, with contributions from Andrea Davis, Fiona Lawrence and Lindsay Gaskill (Newcastle College), Mark Nicholson and Tony Wray (Middlesbrough College).

Closing the conference, Stuart Miller, Director at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), outlined major infrastructural developments across the North East and the need for high quality training to keep pace with industry change, particularly in new technologies and modern methods of construction.

Jo Cooper, North East CTEC Exceptional Pedagogy Lead: Associate Principal for Teaching, Learning and Quality at Education Partnership North East (Sunderland College), said: “It was fantastic to welcome educators, employers and industry experts from across the region to our first North East Construction Educator Conference. As the construction industry continues to evolve, so must the way we prepare our students—helping them build the digital confidence, technical skills and professional behaviours that modern employers expect.

“The sessions today, along with the support of our keynote speakers and our colleagues at Northumbria University, gave us real insight into how we can strengthen the link between classroom learning and what’s happening on site. What really stood out was the shared commitment to working together so our learners are ready to thrive in a fast‑moving construction sector.”

The Construction Educator Conference forms part of the wider work of the North East CTEC, led by Sunderland College and based at the Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA), a regional hub which brings together colleges, universities, training providers, and employers, to raise standards, address skills shortages, and support economic growth.