Joining the Dots for a Better Built Environment: The Offsite Alliance and Building People Announce Partnership

Posted by Construction Industry News Magazine on 2nd December 2021 -

Building People and the Offsite Alliance have joined forces to increase diversity in the construction sector, particularly offsite construction.

2022 will see Building People and the Offsite Alliance enabling and supporting connections between their networks to link a diverse supply of potential construction workers with the growing offsite construction sector, a sector that because of its way of working offers different working practices and conditions to traditional construction. 

This partnership builds upon Building People’s activity creating connections across the built environment to address the industry challenges of skills, diversity and social value. Its free-to-use platform brings together sector-wide careers activity, enabling people to find knowledge, vacancies, events and opportunities, and employers to engage with a more diverse range of talent. Many initiatives for widening participation in the sector already exist but finding relevant ones can be difficult. Building People’s aim is not to duplicate this effort, but to aggregate opportunities and connect people to them, joining the dots for a better built environment.

The Offsite Alliance was set up to deliver transformation in the construction industry.

Through the sharing of knowledge and collaboration the Offsite Alliance will drive innovation, to help  industry tackle challenges, increasing the uptake and delivery of Offsite technologies across the residential sector.

The Offsite Alliance has nine strategic workstreams that have brought together a huge number or people and organisations to drive the change needed. Tackling everything from skills and education, increased standardisation, through to procurement.

Gaynor Tennant, Founder and Chair of the Offsite Alliance, commented: “The Skills Crisis in the construction sector has reached a tipping point. The lack of diversity continues to be an issue and we need to change the grubby face of the construction sector. The more diverse our project teams are the better the outcomes.

“In order to drive the change, the industry needs to collaborate. We are delighted to have formed a partnership with Building People an organisation who share the same passion, dedication and ethos as the OA.

“We know the lack of skills and understanding of competencies are risk to the construction sector and we have a dedicated workstream set up to tackle these challenges head on.”

Ele George, Offsite Alliance’s Strategy & Collaboration Manager, said of the partnership: “We need to work together to define the skills needed for the future and harness the vast array of secure and exciting careers to inspire our next generation. The Skills and Competencies Workstream, therefore, acts as a bridge between industry and training providers to define, support and promote the skills and competencies needed for the offsite sector.”

Supporters of Building People, besides Offsite Alliance, include the Building Engineering Services Association, The Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants, the Considerate Constructors Scheme and the Chartered Institute of Building.

Rebecca Lovelace, Founder and Chief Dot-Joiner at Building People, commented that: “It makes such perfect sense for two innovative and collaborative organisations to join forces, with our shared desire to deliver real change in our sector, and to increase diversity and reduce skills shortages together. With the Building People network – of over 40 providers of built environment careers support to diverse and under-represented audiences – and the membership of the Offsite Alliance, we are bringing together supply and demand; and we’re doing this in a way that can be replicated by all other parts of the sector. This is a phenomenal partnership.”