Advantage West Midlands is the Regional Development Agency (RDA) for the West Midlands. It was established by the Government in 1999 along with seven other RDAs, to transform England's regions through sustainable economic development. The rationale behind RDAs is that successful solutions to regional problems need to be rooted in the regions themselves, rather than being enforced by central government. Advantage West Midlands is working hard with its partners to ensure that "The West Midlands will be recognised as a world-class region in which to invest, work, learn, visit and live and the most successful in creating wealth to benefit all of its people"...

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Advantage West Midlands is the Regional Development Agency (RDA) for the West Midlands. It was established by the Government in 1999 along with seven other RDAs, to transform England's regions through sustainable economic development. The rationale behind RDAs is that successful solutions to regional problems need to be rooted in the regions themselves, rather than being enforced by central government. Advantage West Midlands is working hard with its partners to ensure that "The West Midlands will be recognised as a world-class region in which to invest, work, learn, visit and live and the most successful in creating wealth to benefit all of its people".

Advantage West Midlands invests around £300 million each year into activity that will help transform the West Midlands' economy, focusing on: Business - Improving the collective performance of traditional industries and diversifying our business base; Skills - Leading the work of the West Midlands Regional Skills Partnership to set skills policy and priorities; Infrastructure - working to improve our transport, communication and land and property infrastructure; Communities - Helping all of them, whether urban or rural, enjoy a better quality of life; and providing a powerful voice for the region by promoting the West Midlands nationally and internationally.

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The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is the leading professional body for managers in construction with over 40,000 members worldwide.

For almost 170 years the CIOB has lead the way in establishing, promoting and maintaining standards of excellence in the construction industry, and now sets the pace on a global scale for the education and professionalism of those who manage the construction of the built environment

The CIOB currently has over 40,000 members working in over 94 countries. A dynamic institution that works to a rolling and constantly evolving corporate plan.

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The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is the leading professional body for managers in construction with over 40,000 members worldwide.

For almost 170 years the CIOB has lead the way in establishing, promoting and maintaining standards of excellence in the construction industry, and now sets the pace on a global scale for the education and professionalism of those who manage the construction of the built environment.

The CIOB currently has over 40,000 members working in over 94 countries. A dynamic institution that works to a rolling and constantly evolving corporate plan.

The right to use the initials MCIOB or FCIOB is recognised internationally as achievement of the premier professional qualification in construction management. Globally, it is the passport to a successful career.

The CIOB is dedicated to raising standards throughout the world to the benefit of customers, clients, contractors and its members.

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For construction to thrive, now and in the future, we need a fully trained, skilled workforce. CITB-ConstructionSkills, in partnership with CITB Northern Ireland and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), has a 5-year licence to operate as the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for construction - or ConstructionSkills.

SSCs have been set up by the government to determine how training is delivered and funded in the UK, and to implement UK-wide Sector Skills Agreements between the bodies responsible for delivering training and those that demand it...

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For construction to thrive, now and in the future, we need a fully trained, skilled workforce. CITB-ConstructionSkills, in partnership with CITB Northern Ireland and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), has a 5-year licence to operate as the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for construction - or ConstructionSkills.

SSCs have been set up by the government to determine how training is delivered and funded in the UK, and to implement UK-wide Sector Skills Agreements between the bodies responsible for delivering training and those that demand it.

As an SSC we are responsible for representing employers' skills needs and for tackling the skills and productivity needs of the sector. This partnership gives us UK-wide coverage and the ability to address the needs of the professional sector as well as our traditional audiences.

In addition, as a statutory body, the industry and Government ask CITB-ConstructionSkills to collect an annual levy from all liable construction employers. This money is then redistributed to construction employers of every size in the form of CITB Grant. This helps us to provide assistance in all aspects of recruiting, training and qualifying the workforce.

Our mission is to achieve a fully skilled and professional UK construction industry, working safely, adding value and delivering sustainable development.

Our work is driven by a rolling five-year business plan focused around the three major challenges facing the industry:

Image and Recruitment
Attracting new entrants to meet the industry's skills needs. The UK construction industry needs to recruit and train 86,000 new entrants each year.

Qualifying the Workforce
Achieving a fully qualified workforce by 2010. This means helping employees gain an appropriate qualification to have a licence to work on site.

Improving Performance
Encouraging and supporting employers to improve their overall performance and competitiveness, to meet client expectations on quality, time and cost.

The four key goals for ConstructionSkills are to:
• Reduce skills gaps and shortages
• Improve the productivity of the industry
• Increase opportunities for everyone in the sector to be more productive (including equal opportunities)
• Improve learning supply

In addition, through our work as ConstructionSkills, we are developing a Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) to help us achieve our mission. SSAs are collaborative action plans that identify the skills challenges faced by the industry and demonstrate increased employer commitment to training and skills to address these challenges. As a result, the industry can expect Government and its agencies to secure the necessary funding and training supply.

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City College Coventry was launched in February 2002, by the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Estelle Morris. Although essentially new, the College has a long tradition in teaching and learning having been formed by the merger of Coventry Technical College and Tile Hill College.

City College Coventry is a large general further education college with some 14,000 students (2750 full-time), 600 permanent staff with another 200 part-time teachers at any one time. The annual turnover is £23 million...

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City College Coventry was launched in February 2002, by the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Estelle Morris. Although essentially new, the College has a long tradition in teaching and learning having been formed by the merger of Coventry Technical College and Tile Hill College.

City College Coventry is a large general further education college with some 14,000 students (2750 full-time), 600 permanent staff with another 200 part-time teachers at any one time. The annual turnover is £23 million.

A strong customer focus
The college offers a wide range of courses in construction, engineering, computing and business, humanities, health and care, basic skills, media, performing and creative arts and hairdressing and beauty therapy. It also has a strong English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) provision. It attracts some 100 international students per year mainly on English but also on other programmes, including a large telecommunications contract with the United Arab Emirates military.

The College has a strong commitment to widen the participation of those groups, which have not traditionally entered further education and those, which are disadvantaged. It is officially classified by the Learning & Skills Council as a ‘Widening Participation’ College, taking a high proportion of students with disadvantage. It offers access to higher education courses and many other courses for adults. There is a wide range of provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities including specialist provision for the deaf. It also takes several students from Hereward College, a national college for those with the severest physical disabilities.

The College’s main sites are situated in the centre (Butts and Maxwell Centres) and the south west of the city (Tile Hill Centre). There are also a number of other centres intended to improve access to education and training for adults in the city and in Kenilworth and Balsall Common.

Meeting the needs of employers
The College seeks to meet the needs of employers. It is a national centre for Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) Engineering, boasting clients such as Arriva, First Group, Stagecoach, National Express and Go-Ahead Travel. It is also a regional centre for engineering and construction. Its engineering client base includes five major international car companies, Aston Martin, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover and Peugeot-Citroen. The College is working towards the establishment of a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Construction in partnership with two other colleges. It has a strong local reputation for professional and other vocational training in many other commercial areas.

Butts Centre
The Butts Centre is situated on the edge of the City Centre and provides an excellent learning environment for those interested in art & design, hairdressing & beauty, humanities, fashion, professional studies and performing arts. The Centre boasts a newly refurbished library with computer access, hairdressing & beauty salon, state of the art computer facilities, newly refurbished performing arts studio and college theatre.

Maxwell Centre
City College is proud of its reputation within the field of construction and has a dedicated centre where students can learn and develop skills essential in this industry.

Maxwell Centre is within easy walking distance from the Butts Centre and houses both indoor and outdoor facilities in brickwork, plastering, plumbing, electrics, carpentry, welding, painting & decorating, gas safety and civil engineering.

Tile Hill Centre
Tile Hill Centre is situated three miles from the City Centre and provides an excellent learning environment for those interested in engineering, computers, health & care, horticulture, media, motor vehicle, popular music, public service vehicle (PSV), sports & leisure, teaching and uniformed services.

The Centre has a newly built PSV training centre, purpose built sport hall & fitness suite, state of the art computer facilities, newly refurbished refectory & shop, recording studio and new refurbished radio station.

COTU-Charterhouse
COTU-Charterhouse is the corporate training arm of the new City College Coventry. They are a leading training provider, supporting companies and organisations both locally and nationally in the development of staff where flexible learning for business growth is essential.

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Constructing Excellence was created from a number of separate bodies developed following the Latham and Egan reports and offers a powerful, influential voice for improvement in the built environment sector.

The unique bridge between industry, clients, government and the research community delivers three major business streams: major government programmes (principally under a contract with the DTI); membership programmes; and other commercial contracts.

Construction - Colleges In Partnership
City College Coventry, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and Warwickshire College work in close partnership in the development and delivery of a full range of courses, including an Apprenticeship programme, that support the development of a multi-skilled workforce in the repair and refurbishment sector of the construction industry. This partnership is now a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Refurbishment and Repair of Buildings.

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Construction - Colleges In Partnership
City College Coventry, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and Warwickshire College work in close partnership in the development and delivery of a full range of courses, including an Apprenticeship programme, that support the development of a multi-skilled workforce in the repair and refurbishment sector of the construction industry. This partnership is now a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Refurbishment and Repair of Buildings.

In addition, the effect of this partnership is that the Industry and both individuals preparing for and already in employment, can draw on a greatly enhanced range of services and programmes of training and education in all trade areas to support their development.

Programmes include:
a) Trowel Occupations at Levels 1, 2 ands 3
b) Wood Occupations at levels 1, 2 and 3
c) Plumbing at Levels 2 and 3
d) Electrical Installations at Levels 2 and 3
e) Multi-skills at Levels 1 and 2
f) Gas - e.g. ACS assessments in CCNI; Specialist Units, Energy Efficiency
g) CIOB Certificate and Diploma in Site Management
h) EDEXCEL (BTEC) National Certificate in Construction
i) EDEXCEL (BTEC) National Certificate in Civil Engineering
j) EDEXCEL (BTEC) National Diploma in Construction (Full-Time)

Apprenticeships are offered in areas 'a' to 'f' above inclusively. For adult employees, the partnership offers NVQs in-company under the OSAT initiative in areas 'a' to 'e' above.

The colleges are proud to be associated with ACT-UK and strengthen our provision through the development of a partnership that with them, will provide a very effective reference point for the industry in helping to find solutions to training and education requirements that meet it's needs precisely.

For further information about the college partnership, please contact either:
John Short, City College Coventry
(024 7679 1004 or j.short@staff.covcollege.ac.uk)

Ray Archer, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College
(024 7624 3173 or ray.archer@nwhc.ac.uk)

Alan May, Warwickshire College
(01926 318123 or amay@warkscol.ac.uk)

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Coventry University Enterprises Ltd (CUE Ltd) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coventry University Higher Education Corporation and is the vehicle through which all commercial, income generating work is generated. Operating in a regional, national, European and international context, CUE Ltd supports the corporate aims, and seeks to maximise the commercial potential of the University's skills, expertise and resources. To this end, CUE Ltd provides a gateway to these capabilities for a range of external bodies and assists other parts of the University to access and exploit commercial opportunities.

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Coventry University Enterprises Ltd (CUE Ltd) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coventry University Higher Education Corporation and is the vehicle through which all commercial, income generating work is generated. Operating in a regional, national, European and international context, CUE Ltd supports the corporate aims, and seeks to maximise the commercial potential of the University's skills, expertise and resources. To this end, CUE Ltd provides a gateway to these capabilities for a range of external bodies and assists other parts of the University to access and exploit commercial opportunities.

CUE Ltd has considerable experience of close working with public organisations and government bodies. In particular, it has formed solid working relationships with the British Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the European Commission. Many years of direct contractual arrangements have given it a leading position in relation to both policy development and direct delivery of innovation and business support-related activity. The company also has a solid history of working with the private sector, from large corporations such as BT and Jaguar, to small and micro companies.

CUE Ltd has long focused upon innovation, design, high performance automotive engineering, health, the environment and ICT as areas of expertise at a regional, national, European and international level. Through this activity it has to date supported many thousands of Small-to-Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) through specific projects and support programmes. Over 200 SMEs have been established with the support of CUE Ltd and many more have benefited from one-to-one involvement. In addition the company's project activity has been able to demonstrate many hundreds of new jobs established and thousands of existing jobs safeguarded.

Over the past few years CUE Ltd has been instrumental in attracting a flexible proactive workforce of over 80 entrepreneurs, secondees, and experienced project managers. Supported by over 500 academic experts, these staff have been able to deliver a truly world class support service for innovation and enterprise. As a Technology Park, the TechnoCentre is a nationally recognised and groundbreaking incubator centre able to support and house a mixed range of award winning businesses within the fields of technology, design and ICT.

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Located in the City Centre, the University offers a range of full time and part time, in Building and Construction. These include Architectural Design Technology, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering and Construction Management. These are at undergraduate and postgraduate level, offering HND, BSc and MSc level qualifications.

With internationally recognised centres of applied research, the University is able to provide cutting edge knowledge that feeds directly into study programmes and research projects including the ACT-UK simulation centre and collaborative projects...

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Located in the City Centre, the University offers a range of full time and part time, in Building and Construction. These include Architectural Design Technology, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering and Construction Management. These are at undergraduate and postgraduate level, offering HND, BSc and MSc level qualifications.

With internationally recognised centres of applied research, the University is able to provide cutting edge knowledge that feeds directly into study programmes and research projects including the ACT-UK simulation centre and collaborative projects with construction industry members. Working closely with industry, the University keeps its courses right up to date and gives students the chance to investigate industry's changing needs.

Contact: Lorna Everall
Business Development Manager
l.everall@coventry.ac.uk

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The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds in England. Our mission is to raise participation and attainment through high-quality education and training which puts learners first.

Our vision is that, by 2010, young people and adults in England will have the knowledge and productive skills matching the best in the world. With a budget of £8.0 billion (2003-04) the Council operates through 47 local offices and a national office in Coventry.

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The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds in England. Our mission is to raise participation and attainment through high-quality education and training which puts learners first.

Our vision is that, by 2010, young people and adults in England will have the knowledge and productive skills matching the best in the world. With a budget of £8.0 billion (2003-04) the Council operates through 47 local offices and a national office in Coventry.

Established in April 2001 our work covers:

• Further education
• Work-based training and young people
• School sixth forms
• Workforce development
• Adult and community learning
• Information, advice and guidance for adults
• Education business links.

The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for all post-16 education and training other than in universities.

The Council has brought together the skills of the Training and Enterprise Councils and the Further Education Funding Council to work with partners, employers, learning providers, community groups and individuals to develop and implement strategies that meet the Government's aims set out in the 'Learning to Succeed' White Paper.

It works alongside the Employment Service, the Small Business Service, Connexions, the National Training Organisations, further education and sixth form colleges, and representatives of community groups, to understand, define and then meet training and education needs.

The Learning and Skills Council's national office is in Coventry, with 47 local Learning and Skills Councils across England.

There are four groups:
• Learning
• Skills
• Resources
• Strategy and Communications There are 15 members of the National Council, chaired by Chris Banks, with Chief Executive, Mark Haysom, and representatives of employers, trades unions, learning providers and community groups.

The Adult Learning Committee and the Young Peoples Learning Committee are responsible for the specific needs of those two groups of learners.

Each of the 47 local Learning and Skills Councils also has representatives from employers, learning providers and community groups working to provide local solutions to local needs.

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Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of the University of Warwick, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturing groups and is involved in publicly and privately funded research on innovation in products and in manufacturing processes, with a focus on research, development and application of new approaches for a wide range of industrial sectors. In all of its activities WMG adopts a partnership approach, involving industry closely in the delivery of its extensive research, technology transfer and training programmes. Research focuses on design, business, manufacturing, technology and systems opportunities facing technologically driven organisations. WMG has considerable experience...

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Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of the University of Warwick, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturing groups and is involved in publicly and privately funded research on innovation in products and in manufacturing processes, with a focus on research, development and application of new approaches for a wide range of industrial sectors. In all of its activities WMG adopts a partnership approach, involving industry closely in the delivery of its extensive research, technology transfer and training programmes. Research focuses on design, business, manufacturing, technology and systems opportunities facing technologically driven organisations. WMG has considerable experience of working with international, European, national and regional funding bodies and directly with companies of all sizes. Major research programmes include the Research Council sponsored Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre which includes leading edge projects focused on the construction sector and DTI sponsored Technology Programmes looking at new materials in construction and energy opportunities.

WMG has considerable experience in effective knowledge transfer. All research involves company collaborators that directly benefit from knowledge. In many cases programmes are developed with the supply chains serving a major manufacturer eg in automotive and construction. In aerospace WMG led the EPSRC sponsored UK Lean Aerospace Initiative with partners Bath, Cranfield and Nottingham Universities and the Society of British Aerospace Companies. The programme provided stimulus to the industry with financial benefits calculated as between 60m and £200m per annum. More than 200 companies and thousands of individuals benefited from involvement. Knowledge is presented in awareness and demonstration programmes that are delivered to over 1200 regional small and medium-sized companies. One programme (Innovation-Direct) that helps small companies to create new products through concurrent engineering won the Lord Stafford Living for Innovation’ Award. Education is a major knowledge transfer route with learning included in WMG’s Masters’ level modules that are delivered to over 5000 individuals in companies worldwide.  

The group has a global presence, with an international model for working with industry, with teaching and research centres in Hong Kong, South Africa, India, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

WMG has formed five centres at Warwick to provide a focus for its collaborative research and development (R&D). The centres comprise state-of-the-art equipment coupled with research teams formed from staff with both traditional academic and industrial backgrounds. Its newest multidisciplinary academic industry collaboration base, The Digital Laboratory, is under construction.

The University of Warwick was founded 40 years ago and has attained the position of one of Britain's leading universities. The university is consistently ranked in the top ten UK universities.

Contact: Barry Turner
barry.turner@warwick.ac.uk

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The West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence (WMCCE), one of Constructing Excellence’s regional bodies, has been set up with support from Advantage West Midlands and the European Development Fund.

Its main objective is to improve the capabilities and competitiveness of the West Midlands construction industry.

It provides specialist business improvement assistance specifically to help local businesses in the construction and building technologies sectors. Eligible businesses...

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The West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence (WMCCE), one of Constructing Excellence’s regional bodies, has been set up with support from Advantage West Midlands and the European Development Fund.

Its main objective is to improve the capabilities and competitiveness of the West Midlands construction industry.

It provides specialist business improvement assistance specifically to help local businesses in the construction and building technologies sectors. Eligible businesses in the West Midlands can benefit from free specialist support to accelerate business improvement, increase productivity, implement best practice and innovation.

ACT-UK and WMCCE will be working closely together to help the UK construction industry improve its working practices, with WMCCE using ACT-UK as one of its delivery centres.

Working through a unique regional partnership of experts drawn from the industry, WMCCE is also supported by University of Wolverhampton.

The Centre offers a range of services including ICT implementation, construction accredited performance standards, lean processes in the supply chain, logistics management, respect for people, sustainability and the environment, health and safety, supply chain management, benchmarking and whole life costing.

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