Design, Engineer, Construct: Delivering high-quality technical education to support Jersey’s construction industry

Back in 2013, as Chair of JeCC’s Training and Education Sub-Committee, I helped to devise a new skills strategy in partnership with Skills Jersey to identify and meet the skills needs of Jersey’s construction sector. We were largely successful in delivering the strategy’s objectives of promoting construction careers in schools – but it wasn’t easy. With so many sectors vying for attention, it was hard to get noticed.

Later, in 2017, as part of a joint venture tender for the construction of the Jersey Future Hospital, I helped devise another strategy, this time focusing on social values. The same problem arose. How best to promote construction careers in schools? This time, however, we’d discovered a promising education programme called Design, Engineer, Construct (DEC) created by the organisation Class Of Your Own (COYO). Brainchild of inspirational land surveyor, Alison Watson MBE, DEC helps young people discover pathways into architecture, engineering and construction careers while teaching them key industry tools, processes and employability skills.

We took a punt and included the programme in our social values strategy. We won the tender for the hospital and subsequently launched a pilot of DEC at Le Rocquier School in September 2018. At the launch, I remember looking parents and pupils in the eye, promising I would see them through DEC Levels 1, 2 and 3 – a five-year commitment. All partners had to sign up for this, too. As Governor, I was able to bring Highlands College into the partnership to teach Level 3.

We’re now in year four of the programme and DEC has been a huge success to date. We started with one school and 22 learners. We now have over 400 pupils studying DEC across five schools. In Jersey, the course is recognized as both a GCSE and A-level equivalent and is embedded into the curriculum at a young age. Children must learn about the real world of work and make informed choices as they grow. DEC challenges them with real-world scenarios. This has never been more necessary than right now when climate change (a real challenge for industry) presents an opportunity for them. With their creative minds, pupils can apply STEM principles to explore and deliver innovative design, engineering and construction solutions.

So what can others learn from the success of this initiative?

Thanks to agile governance and strong education-business partnerships, DEC faced fewer barriers in Jersey than it does on the mainland. We’ve achieved something incredible with minimal political intervention. All entities involved – employers, government and education providers – signed up because they believe in the programme. And each brings unique strengths to the partnership.

However, this collaboration hasn’t just been important for launching DEC – it’s vital for its continued success. Each school has an employer partner offering financial sponsorship, in-class interactions, regular site visits and training. Securing time investment can be tough. But once employer partners understand that they only get out of the programme what they put into it, they quickly buy-in.

Ultimately, our success comes from the fact that the community has taken ownership. No single entity is driving this forward. Take the Association of Jersey Architects. After learning about DEC, their president Colin Buesnel stood down to become an accredited DEC trainer. He now supports DEC teachers through COYO’s ‘BEST’ programme (Built Environment Specialist Trainer). This direct line into schools means they can call on him whenever they need support. This kind of attitude is why DEC is such a success.

Of course, Jersey’s environment is unique. We’re a small island under its own jurisdiction. Employers, educators and government are fundamentally intertwined. But that doesn’t mean this kind of initiative can’t find success in other contexts. Already, Alison is exploring ways of recreating our model in a mainland setting, for instance by developing individual city hubs. If it’s possible to get schools within a single catchment area on board and link this with local employer interventions, it can certainly work.

Islands are excellent for trialling fresh ideas like this. But I hope, in the not-too-distant future, we can see successful initiatives like DEC thriving on larger scales, too. Young people’s futures, as well as the economy, depend on it.