Covid-19: CITB chief exec update – 16 April 2020

Good afternoon,

I hope you’re keeping well. Today’s update provides more detail on the exciting Go Construct Buildathon competitions we launched a couple of weeks ago. I would also like to signpost you to version 3 of Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Site Operating Procedures which were published this week.

Go Construct Buildathon Competitions

CITB is keen to continue making the best use of our existing resources to inspire the next generation of construction workers. The challenging Minecraft competitions, available in England, Scotland and Wales, are designed so children (aged 5-12) and their families can learn more about the sector while having fun together in these very difficult times.

Competitions 

The Buildathon will mean children can discover the exciting variety of roles within our sector by designing and building a construction project using Minecraft Education Edition. Families will be able to work together as a team and use construction skills to design and build a winning structure that is unique, sustainable and environmentally friendly - all while having fun indoors. And don’t forget the fantastic prizes for the winners kindly provided by Microsoft.

Families are encouraged to join in with the design phase of the competition however children must do 100% of the building in the Minecraft world.

The first competition takes place next week in Wales with England and Scotland the following week (details here). There are further Go Construct Buildathon competitions scheduled for May and June. This is one example of a suite of support materials designed to attract children and young people into construction.

Supporting parents

Live webinars providing instructions for parents and carers on how to access Minecraft at home (for free) and how to participate in the competition challenge, will take place on the following dates:

• Wales, Monday 20 April - Register here
• England and Scotland, Monday 27 April - Register here

You can also register for the Go Construct Minecraft Buildathon competitions here.

If you would like further educational activities to try at home, a range of lesson plans for all ages are available. Part of the Go Construct Educate resources delivered successfully in schools over the last couple of years, they can be accessed here.

CLC Site Operating Procedures

Version 3 of the CLC Site Operating Procedures were published this week. We appreciate there are different requirements across Scotland, England and Wales, information for employers can be found on our recently launched employer information database here.

CITB's COVID-19 updates page is being refreshed daily and includes information on a range of subjects including Grants, Funding and the National Construction Colleges (NCCs).

To read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

Tomorrow, we will provide a full update on the take-up and impact of all measures now in place to support, retain and train our construction workforce and I will aim to provide this weekly going forward.

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale
Chief Executive