The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a five-year plan focusing on quality and safety, environmental sustainability and closing the construction industry’s skills gap. 

The plan aims to make modern professionalism in construction management widely aspired to and increasingly a reality across the industry. Trustees and CIOB members from across the globe were involved in shaping the plan, which centres on the key issues facing the users and creators of the built environment. 

Caroline Gumble, CEO at CIOB, said: “To me this is much more than a simple document. It is the roadmap for the journey CIOB will take over the next five years and beyond, in leading the way to make positive change for the creators of our built environment. 

“It is my ambition that this plan drives delivery on what we all want from this important industry: high standards of quality and safety, improvements in sustainability, and closing the skills gap. As the home for built environment professionals, CIOB must support our members in making that possible. It was incredibly important to me that members had input as, in many ways, it is our members who will bring this document to life.” 

Environmental Sustainability 

The Institute recognised that the construction industry needs to operate in a way that ensures environmental impact is minimal and contributes to a sustainable future.

For that reason it will:  

• Equip CIOB members (individual and company) with the knowledge and skills to manage and deliver the construction process in environmentally sustainable ways. 
• Embed environmental sustainability into relevant learning programmes across schools, colleges and universities.  
• Support industry and stakeholders in building the case for change through environmentally sustainable activities and metrics. 

Quality and Safety 

The Institute noted that good quality buildings and infrastructure promote health, safety and wellbeing, as well as delivering social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits and that the safety of the built environment should be fundamental.

For that reason it aims to:  

• Bring about a culture change in the industry that ensures quality and building safety are at the heart of everything we do and never sacrificed for profit.  
• Become the leading provider of education, training and standards in quality and building safety in the built environment, globally. 

Skills Gap 

Finally, CIOB said that the industry must increase productivity to match other mainstream sectors, ensuring the built environment is fit for changing societal needs and a growing population as most worldwide construction markets are reporting a skilled labour shortage.

As a result, the CIOB said it will:  

• Contribute tangibly to reducing the industry skills shortage across priority skills by 2028.  
• Help the industry bring in people, from a diverse range of backgrounds, who would not have joined without CIOB’s actions.  
• Improve the perception and reality of working in the construction industry, by championing diversity, inclusion and worker welfare.  
• Facilitate smooth, motivating routes within the industry to continually develop the skills of modern professional construction management. 

The full CIOB plan can be found online here