PlanBEE attracts talented, bright young people with an interest in design and construction management.
PlanBEE is an industry driven, higher level skills programme designed to encourage young people to select a career in the built environment.
In 2013 Ryder Architecture identified a skills and talent gap and wanted to provided new a skills based training programme to bring more young people in to the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector.
Ryder created a Plan for Built Environment Education, now known as “PlanBEE”, by bringing together Gateshead College and key partners in the AEC sector to develop a programme which would prepare people for a career in a broad range of technical and professional roles in architecture, engineering, building services and construction/site management and provide an alternative route into these jobs than via university.
PlanBEE focuses on the technical and managerial aspects of design and construction and is accredited by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and underpinned with HNC and HND qualifications at level 4 and 5. It combines higher education with working with some of the biggest names with the AEC sector in the UK.
PlanBEE currently offers apprenticeships with over 60 sponsor companies in the North East, Manchester and London, including: Arup, Cundall, Cast Consultancy, Fletcher Priest Architects, Gleeds, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Sir Robert McAlpine and Ryder– many large, leading businesses in the field of architecture, engineering and construction as well as many SMEs consultants and contractors.
Benefits
How does the PlanBEE programme work?
This Higher Apprenticeship is designed to recruit and train our next generation of multidisciplinary project managers, with the opportunity to work on some of the UK’s most innovative infrastructure projects.
The PlanBEE programme runs over a two year period, when apprentices undertake six work placements of four months each, with different sponsor organisations.
Each apprentice gains a broad and varied experience of working in different roles, with exposure to architecture, civil and services engineering, quantity surveying and construction management.
PlanBEE apprentices will work on real, live projects and are treated as full time employees during their time at each sponsor organisation.
The programme is enhanced by professional mentoring, site visits, technical challenges and competitions. Each apprentice works in the sponsor organisation for four days per week and studies for the HNC and HND qualification one day per week through a Gateshead College course.