As part of their course requirements, students from WIT’s Construction Management course successfully organised and ran a lively and insightful panel discussion

As part of the L7 Bsc in Construction Management course being run by Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), this year’s class was tasked with organising a “Leadership in Construction Management” panel discussion with three selected leaders from the Irish construction industry. From venue to sponsorship, they had to organise every aspect of the event leading up to and on the day.

This was no easy feat; the class consists of 23 headstrong individuals, all leaders in their own right with their own thoughts and opinions on how things should be done. All of the participants are up-skilling, from a construction background and in positions as site managers and foremen. The task challenged the students to work together, resolve conflicts and make decisions in order to execute a successful event.
The guests chosen by the class attended on the day to discuss a number of topics and issues currently affecting the construction industry.

Kevin Walsh, Radley Engineering – Started his career sweeping the factory floor and is now Director and General Manager
James Frisby – Followed in his father’s footsteps in home building and is now Director of the successful Frisby Homes
Bernard Nevin – MD at Nevin Construction, with a wealth of experience in the industry, having seen his business turnover obliterated during the 2009 crash.

From the impact of Brexit and Covid on their respective businesses to the future of construction and the introduction of new technologies, the discussion was insightful and inspiring. The class engaged with the speakers on the day to extract their thoughts on issues around skill shortages, challenges in the sector and the sharp rise in cost of materials.
Course leader Brian Graham said: “The group pulled off the event in spectacular fashion. It’s been a fantastic experience and we have all learned a lot from the discussion today.”

The class would like to give a very special thanks to the sponsors – Laois Hire, Clancy Construction and Iceland Waterford who helped fund the event, which can be watched via this link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgaU_oDS7bU

The part-time BSc in construction site management is aimed at the busy construction site manager looking to advance their career in the industry. It aims to develop management, technical and interpersonal skills of the individuals involved. The course was developed to meet a critical need for suitably qualified site managers. Participants will be the busy tradesperson, foreman or site manager, who want to upskill whilst maintaining their employment.

Modules throughout the two semesters include:
Semester 1 – September to December
Communications for Construction Site Managers
(5 credits)
Construction Management & Psychology (5 credits)
Site Safety Management
(5 credits)
Building Technology (5 credits)
Semester 2 – January to May
Site Project Management
(5 credits)
Site Administration & Regulatory Environment (5 credits)
Building Services Systems
(5 credits)
Work-Based Learning
(10 credits)
June to August
Site Management Placement
(15 credits)

The course is fully funded for unemployed people and people returning to formal employment and is the only such course which is Springboard funded – for more details, see http://springboardcourses.ie/eligibility

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Denise Maguire   Editor of Irish Construction Industry Magazine & Plan Magazine

Email: denise@mcdmedia.ie      WWW.MCDMEDIA.IE          WWW.IRISHCONSTRUCTION.COM