Improving quality in construction

Progress indicator

The CQI’s Construction Special Interest Group’s (ConSIG) Training Working Group (TWG) has developed a new training course specification to upskill quality professionals in the construction sector.

Research has found errors in the construction industry are costing the sector between £10-25bn per year (Get It Right Initiative). Eliminating these errors by improving quality would significantly lower this figure. Recent events, which have received significant media attention, also demonstrate quality is fundamental to safety of the built product.

Dedicated quality professionals work within the construction industry to support organisations and projects to achieve the quality outcome it needs. It is important to ensure these people have the right competencies. To raise the bar in the knowledge, skills and behaviours of these quality professionals, the CQI’s Construction Special Interest Group’s (ConSIG) Training Working Group (TWG) has developed a specification for a two-day training course – Quality in Construction.

This will be used to create an industry-wide recognised training course delivered by CQI’s Approved Training Providers (ATPs). More widely, this course can also be used to assist operational team members to understand what they need to do from a quality perspective to ensure successful implementation of all projects.

Topics covered by the training course will include:

Project Quality Controls;
Information Management;
Technical Assurance; and
Managing Project Change

Karen McDonald, TWG Chair, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity to bring quality professionals and industry experts together to develop a much-needed course for the construction industry. The group initially started with researching the various quality roles and undertook a significant piece of work to research what we want construction professionals to do by understanding specific gaps that exist and identifying the training needs.”

Jon Adshead, ConSIG Chair, argues the ConSIG has identified a significant gap in training for our quality professionals in the construction industry. “This course will help provide confidence to the industry that quality professionals have the knowledge and skills required for their role,” he said.

After completing the training course, quality professionals will be able to complete specified modules from the CQI’s course portfolio. This professional pathway will result in a CQI and IRCA Practitioner Certificate in Construction Quality Management.

The course is currently being piloted with Costain and will be available more widely in the New Year. Skanska UK also contributed to the cost of developing the exams to ensure the course is available to the construction industry.

Vincent Desmond, CEO at the CQI, said: “This initiative is another great example of our expert members collaborating together and with allied bodies to address shared industry challenges through the CQI’s Special Interest Group framework. I am sure CQI members in the construction sector share my thanks for their collective effort in delivering this.”