The strategic partnership is focused on developing career pathways for growing local talent across the construction sector, as well as sharing insights and opportunities of the skill needed by the future workforce. It will explore areas of mutual benefit and take a collaborative approach to the sharing of knowledge in response to sector challenges.

The partnership will include working with research groups from the University’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment and sharing learning from the EnergiSprong approach used by NTU in its Remourban EU Project, a scheme which explored the retrofitting of residential properties in Nottingham.

Front row: Daniel Maher, Managing Director at Arc Partnership with Dr Andrew Knight, Executive Dean of the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University. Back row (l to r): Derek Higton, Services Director at Nottingham County Council, Councillor Reg Adair, Mark Robinson, Chief Executive of SCAPE, Ming Sun, NTU and Richard Bull, NTU.

Dan Maher, Managing Director of Arc Partnership, said:

“Against the backdrop of a climate emergency and the local economy rebuilding itself post-pandemic, a focus on employability and maximising the skills and knowledge to deliver on Nottinghamshire’s net zero ambitions has become mission critical. But it’s no secret that the construction industry is faced with a large skills shortage that may affect its ability to tackle these challenges."

Executive Dean Andrew Knight echoed the sentiment, adding:

“It will also enable our students to provide potential solutions for businesses which may not have been considered before, helping shape the sector of tomorrow in new and innovative ways.

“We have ambitions to develop a centre of excellence for low carbon construction skills and retrofitting expertise to help create and retrofit buildings to meet all of society’s sustainability expectations. We see Arc Partnership being pivotal in the development of this and providing the essential bridge between industry and academia.”

Councillor Reg Adair, vice chairman of the Economic Development and asset Management Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council said the tie up between the private, public and university sectors was vital as so many new industries are coming to the fore.

Councillor Adair said: “Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, and they need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for jobs in the construction, energy and technology worlds going forward."

Councillor Adair continued: "This is the trajectory of most companies throughout the country and gives a clear indication that the green agenda and achieving Net Zero targets will very much be at the core of local authority and private industry’s plans for the foreseeable future.

“That is why a partnership like this is so important so that we can garner knowledge from industry and the workplace to inform universities of the skills and training needed for jobs over the coming decades. This in turn will no doubt have a significant knock-on effect for the economic prosperity of Nottinghamshire.”

Arc Partnership was formed in 2016 as a joint venture company between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE, and we’re committed to improving the built environment across Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands and beyond. Our services include multi-disciplinary property design, consultancy, master planning, regeneration, project and programme management, emergency, reactive, risk management, asset management, and planned maintenance.