ICE Training launches specialist law and contracts training for civil engineers as skills gap widens

In response to rapidly increasing industry demand for civil engineers, made even more pressing by a widening built environment skills gap, ICE Training has launched a specialist law and contracts training programme, designed to support the next generation of on-site professionals.

With more civil engineers than ever before now involved in handling and navigating contractual issues, a concrete understanding of how the law and practices work is critical to project success for engineers.

A recent report from the CITB highlighted the growing skills gap as it predicts that thousands of new roles will be required to meet demand in the next five years.

According to the latest figures, the industry will need to recruit an average of 44,690 workers each year between now and 2019 to meet projected annual growth.

As part of its commitment to supporting the desperately-needed major upskilling of the industry, ICE Training has launched a new programme designed to enhance engineers’ contractual understanding. It covers contractual conditions, legal frameworks and the management procedure needed to successfully complete projects.

The course is made up of three key elements: law, NEC, and contract management.

The law module covers Law of Contract, Law of Tort and Law of Evidence providing a solid understanding of the legal framework in which the Conditions of Contracts sit.

Aimed at graduate engineers with practical experience, the course’s NEC element concentrates on the NEC3 family of contracts and the Infrastructure Conditions of Contact, while the Higher ICC / NEC Contract Management Exam covers a similar syllabus but is set aimed at relatively experienced qualified engineers.

Victoria Tyson, Director, Corbett & Co and author of the eLearning modules said

“The launch of the ICE Law and Contracts eLearning training is in response to growing demands from civil engineers both in the UK and internationally and reflects their ever broadening project roles and responsibility. The importance of being fully trained in contractual issues, collaborative working and effective risk allocation is invaluable.

There is significant pressure on our industry to upskill and an increasing demand for talented civil engineers, which must be delivered if the UK is to manage its own projected growth. This training has been designed to help meet this challenge at a time of real opportunity and economic recovery in the market.”

For full information on ICE Training Law and Contracts training programme and the Law and Contract management examinations visit this website: ice.org.uk/lawandcontracts.