The Building Podcast
Mark Wakeford is Chairman of the National Federation of Builders, vice-chair at Constructing Excellence Midlands and a Governor at Construction College, Moulton College. He has run a large regional building contractor and now chairs Evoenergy, one of the UK's foremost renewable companies, bringing low carbon solutions to corporate Britain.
Mark talks to leading experts from across the construction sector to discuss issues facing the built environment. He explores various challenges with his guests, who offer solutions, information and ideas that listeners can apply to their own situations, be it in a company, on a project or studying at college.
The Building Podcast aims to provide CPD on the go. Supporting the sector with easily digestible ideas to support a rapidly changing industry!
The Building Podcast
Mark talks to Ian Heptonstall
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Sustainability requires a culture change within construction. Ian Heptonstall set up the Supply Chain Sustainability School with a few main contractors who were looking to break the mould of training and skills acquisition in the UK on what was then a relatively new demand on our industry. The Supply Chain School remains free to all users at the point of use; something that Ian is hugely and justifiably proud of. The school provides remote courses that are validated to achieve certain quality standards for users at various stages within their careers. It aims to provide the willing with the knowledge to do their jobs differently and to challenge the status quo.
Ian talks about the origin, the rationale and the future of the School, citing the original objective of generating a critical mass of knowledge and skills within the sector to support the culture change needed to support our net-zero ambitions. Ian recognises how far the UK has come in decarbonising its activities, believing that the vast majority of employees within the sector want to do the right thing, but lack the tools to take our achievements to the next phase. The Supply Chain Sustainability School has a huge role to play and has plans to make it more accessible and more relevant to all.