A new partnership between the Yorkshire & Humber College Network and the Supply Chain Sustainability School is set to strengthen sustainability skills across the construction sector, creating opportunities for facilities management professionals seeking to build more resilient and environmentally responsible supply chains.
The initiative will see 17 colleges across the region become partners of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, marking the first time specialist sustainability support has been rolled out across an entire regional network operating under the Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs) model.
The Supply Chain Sustainability School works with more than 225 industry partners and supported over 50,000 learners from 7,000 businesses during the past year. It plays a key role in developing sustainability, procurement and supply chain capability across major infrastructure programmes, including HS2, National Highways and Sizewell C.
The partnership highlights the growing emphasis being placed on embedding sustainability knowledge throughout the built environment workforce, helping to address the skills required to deliver net-zero buildings, improve asset performance and support increasingly complex environmental requirements.
The agreement was made possible through a collaboration between the School and Leeds College of Building, which leads the Yorkshire & Humber branch of the Government-backed CTEC programme. Leeds College of Building was one of only 10 institutions nationally selected to represent its region within the initiative.
Under the arrangement, participating colleges will gain access to more than 4,000 sustainability resources, industry-led learning materials, training programmes and professional development opportunities for both students and teaching staff.
The move also aligns with Government ambitions to train an additional 40,000 professionals by 2029 across sectors supporting infrastructure, housing and green energy projects.
Rob Holmes, Vice Principal Curriculum, Quality and Innovation at Leeds College of Building, said the partnership would help provide local training providers with access to expertise, resources and industry knowledge that might otherwise be difficult to obtain.
Meanwhile, Holly Hansen-Maughan, Senior Growth and Sectors Manager at the Supply Chain Sustainability School, described the initiative as an example of education and industry working together to drive sustainability knowledge across the built environment.
For facilities management organisations, the development signals a strengthening pipeline of sustainability-focused talent entering construction and property sectors. As demand grows for professionals capable of delivering low-carbon estates, sustainable procurement strategies and net-zero projects, partnerships such as this are expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping the future FM workforce.
