Holcim UK roll out Sustainable Construction Academy
UK roll out of global group’s online learning tool part of future skills drive in sustainable construction practices
HOLCIM UK have rolled out their global group’s online learning tool that aims to upskill built environment and infrastructure professionals across the UK in sustainable construction practices.
The Holcim Sustainable Construction Academy offers a variety of CPD-certified courses developed in partnership with top global institutions, including ETH Zurich and the University of Cambridge, as well as leading experts from pioneering companies such as Canary Wharf Group, Arup, and Ramboll.
Aimed at all levels from beginners to intermediate, its 10-module curriculum gives Holcim customers, suppliers, and other market stakeholders the freedom to learn at their own pace about subjects such as operational emissions, circular construction, and building materials innovation.
While the primary goal of the initiative is to accelerate the shift towards more regenerative building across the construction industry, individual participants can gain invaluable insights into sustainable practices that give them a vital competitive edge over their industry peers.
As an employer that is passionate about developing talent and skills, Holcim are also encouraging internal team members to engage with the learning tool as a mean of providing them with the best knowledge and expertise for making sustainable construction a reality.
Speaking about her experience with the Holcim Sustainable Construction Academy, Anh Nguyen, specification manager at Holcim UK, said: ‘I decided to sign up to the Academy because I was curious about what I could learn from it that could be applied to my day-to-day role.
‘I’m now roughly halfway through the programme, and it’s all been great so far. The second module – which covers the Life Cycle Stages of Construction Projects and Products – has been particularly useful for me, going into granular detail about some of the specific work that I’m already doing for clients.
‘Achieving sustainability really relies on your own knowledge of how sustainable practices actually work, so understanding this in greater detail has enabled me to better support our clients in their projects and decision making around their own sustainability goals.
‘I would recommend anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge of sustainable construction – whether they be architects, engineers, contractors, specifiers, colleagues, or even people interested in work in construction – to sign up to the Holcim Academy.’
Luke Olly, head of decarbonization at Holcim UK, has also completed a number of modules through the platform.
‘As a sustainability professional, I know that there’s always more to learn,’ he explained. ‘It’s a very broad and continuously changing space, and whenever I’m at industry events, people often expect me to know everything there is to know about decarbonization, when in reality there are certain areas that I’m stronger on than others.
‘As such, I was really keen to hone my knowledge of those topic that I wasn’t as familiar with, so that I can fully appreciate all aspects of the carbon and design journey that the construction industry is on, and how we as a business can support customers in these areas.
‘I was really surprised by the variety of the modules, with some more focused on those who’ve never really explored sustainability before, whereas others go into quite a lot of depth in their respective areas. As such, it provides opportunities for all construction professionals to learn more about the industry, and what they can do make sustainable construction a reality.’
Hannah Lisby, people director at Holcim UK, said: ‘At Holcim, we are on a mission to decarbonize building practices, and make sustainable construction a reality for generations to come.
‘We recognize that achieving this goal will require a concerted effort from the entire industry. The first step in this is to explain to built environment professionals why sustainable building practices are so vitally needed, and then to upskill them to deliver the eco-friendly projects that the UK is calling out for.
‘Ongoing training and development is essential to the success of the built environment’s sustainable future, and we are proud to be leading the way in this endeavour through the Holcim Academy.’
