A new free mentoring service has been launched to help you implement digital processes and techniques in your business.

Digital Construction Skills (DCS) is funded by CITB to help construction companies develop the skills they need to drive their digital transformation.

With a strong focus on smaller (SME) business owners, directors, and senior managers, DCS aims to demystify digital tools and help businesses choose the best products to align with their goals.

All the mentors on the programme have recent, real-world experience on the front line of the construction industry and are specialists in the technical and commercial aspects of digital construction.

This includes digitalising information flow and physical elements, such as 3D models and reality capture.

There are many benefits to adopting digital practices. It could help you to reduce admin time and costs, improve safety and quality, and keep digital records to speed up payment, protect against claims, and complete your tax returns. It can also increase productivity of engineers and other site staff.

Because time is always at a premium for companies, DCS will make the mentoring process as simple and focussed as possible.

There are no forms to fill in, you simply book a 15-, 30- or 60-minute meeting with a digital construction specialist.

DCS also offers mentoring at various stages of a business’s digital journey, from the very start when you have not yet explored how digital tools can support your business, through to guidance on accessing a range of funding and support available for digital adoption, and then to implementation.

Saffron Grant, Managing Director at Digital Constructions Skills, said: “Digital leadership skills are so important because the way we work is changing.

“Understanding the benefits of digital technologies, and how they can help you achieve your business goals can ensure your business remains competitive and profitable in a rapidly changing landscape.

“This mentoring service can help you select the digital tools that are right for your company and get the very best out of them. The programme is supported by free eLearning modules, training courses and other valuable resources.”

Feedback has also been shared by businesses that have received support from the service.

For example, Andy Dalrymple, Managing Director at Mackenzie Construction, says: “Digital Construction Skills helped us access funding to help us train our staff in a new digital platform we are rolling out across our business.”

Ed Clement, Owner of Patterson Bailey Engineers: “Thanks to free support from Digital Construction Skills I am adding several new revenue streams to my business, including carrying out drone surveys and setting out construction works.”

David Minns, Operations Director, GAC Environmental: “The support helped us get all the right people together in one room, and get to the point where we were able to make a clear decision on the priority areas for digital tools.”

To book a 15-minute, 30-minute or one-hour call, click here.

Members of the Natural Stone Industry Training Group (NSITG) visited Bath College’s Stone Masonry Department on 30 March. The group, including representatives from Welsh Government’s Cadw, Stone Federation Great Britain, Brunel University and the Building Crafts College, met Bath College tutors and heard about new courses being developed to enhance the Stone Masonry Trailblazer apprenticeship courses.

Facilities at Bath for stonemasonry are now housed at the Somer Valley Campus, at Radstock, that were purpose built for the masonry and carpentry departments.

Training suites include workshop banker environments and outdoor areas to simulate site experiences.

Students working on the bankers during the visit were local young women drawn to the masonry course because of its diverse routes of career options. They said they were particularly interested in the detail of the banker work and lettercutting.

Student work seen by the NSITG group included examples of drawings and initial stages of developing form and texture using clay for practice and development.

The new Stone Masonry Trailblazer Apprenticeship offers a core of mandatory units, including health & safety. Students then have to choose an optional route from: Banker, Exterior Mason, Interior Mason, Façade Preservation, Heritage Mason or Memorial Mason.

Bath are in the process of developing courses to offer more of the routes, but currently have banker, interior and external fixer only.

Heritage will be added at the start of the new term in September, with a view to adding memorial mason in due course.

All routes attract Government and CITB grant aide for employers.

Bath has recently recruited new lecturers from the stone community to work with students as it aims to maintain the standards that last year saw two of the college’s students win Gold and Silver in stonemasonry at SkillBuild, the multi-trade skills competition for construction trainees and apprentices. Gold was won by Lewis Evans and Silver by Kane Frith. They were both Level 3 stonemasonry students.

New developments at the college include short courses for both BIM (building information modelling) and CAD (computer-aided design) that are being added to the Apprenticeship offer, along with a new suite of sustainability options ahead of them becoming a mandatory part of the Trailblazer delivery.

This was the NSITG’s first face-to-face visit since the Covid restrictions began and members appreciated the opportunity to discuss best practice and share ideas over lunch.

Next NSITG plans to visit the Building Crafts College in London, which is another of the colleges delivering the new Trailblazer apprenticeships.

www.nsitg.org.uk