While the initial focus is on London, we are thinking long-term and SkillsPlanner is already reaching out across the UK. Some of the SkillsPlanner team took the project’s message to Wales earlier this month (read our Catch them when they’re older post), and this week it will be Scotland’s turn.

One of SkillsPlanner’s industry partners, the BIM2050 group, along with the TeamBuild initiative and the Edge Commission (authors of the excellent Collaboration for Change report – PDF here), is leading a week-long ‘Innovation Learning Week’ at Edinburgh University.

Thanks to Alex MacLaren, SkillsPlanner will be featured in activities on Wednesday 17 February. During the day, Alex is planning a pan-discipline workshop discussion of construction industry issues involving students from a range of construction-related fields – “from first year to PhD mechanical engineers, from architects to civil engineers, planners and surveyors….”. In particular he wants to debate: “what will the construction jobs of the future be?”

Industry guests will join the event during the afternoon, and there will be a public seminar in the evening. Participants include Robin Nicholson (Edge, Cullinan Studio), Sandy Halliday (Gaia Research, CIBSE), Paul Jowitt (past president of the ICE), Simon Foxell (Edge, Green Construction Board), plus practitioners from local firms including AECOM, Mace, Reiach and Hall, and Bowmer and Kirkland.

If you are interested in participating in the Edinburgh event, there is more information on the Teambuild website. Email Alex ([email protected]) if you want to attend.