Evie Treanor, Associate Director at Gardiner & Theobald reflects on the latest NextGen Committee meeting.

The discussion during the second NextGen Committee meeting of the year was focused on how to support young people during their careers in the built environment. The conversation included Learning and Development (L&D), mentoring, and developing Apprentices. 

 

While L&D funding cuts are apparent across the industry, the importance of taking on Apprentices and investing time to develop their skills early on is key. A structured approach for learning alongside practical experience was favoured, as well as consideration for the career progression of Apprentices once they finish the scheme. Members agreed that the NLA could introduce an award on what a good Apprenticeship scheme looks like, to incentivise companies to have the best one in the market. Other ways of learning which do not require direct monetary investment show that it’s as much about spending time with young professionals to train them, as it is about money spent on training programmes; examples of this include lessons learned sessions, coaching, and networking sessions.  

 

A standardised set of competencies for each job title could help to give young people a clear pathway for their career progression, and allocating time each month specifically for learning could encourage young employees to grow their skills. 

 

The second part of the meeting considered the New London Agenda’s chosen themes which are Take Responsibility, Provide Clarity, and Build Trust. It was encouraged for members to reflect on these outside the meeting, and to think about how everyone around the table would be able to take action and contribute on the ground in their respective organisations.