UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 06 MARCH 2017
Built Environment students had the opportunity to meet staff from an international support services business, and find out about a major new building project when Carillion visited the University to talk about the development of the Midlands Metropolitan Hospital.
David Hollywood of Carillion talked to students about the various factors involved in such a large-scale project, including the challenges involved in complex projects, and how the company manages the processes and people involved.
After the introductory talk, students attended seminars relevant to their specific area of interest in the built environment, including how the use of PFI (Public Finance Initiative) determines the way cost is managed; identifying bottlenecks and developing plans to ensure the project will complete on time; measuring and implementing sustainability; and using BIM (Building Information Modelling) to facilitate design co-ordination and enhance collaboration between contractors.
Speaking about the day, David Hollywood said: “Events like these make learning real – translating things from the classroom to actual projects and exposure to the industry makes it priceless.
Students attending the talks agreed that it was useful to hear from those working in industry: “Events like this are great to meet future employers and learn about cutting-edge technologies.” Stewart Cotterill (Master’s student)
The event was part of the University’s Employability Week, and is just one of the activities offered by the Faculty to facilitate students’ engagement with industry and open doors for their future careers.