In this fourth instalment of the BIM Academy Digital Climate podcast Series 3, Andrew Johnson speaks to MOBIE’s Head of Education, Gerry Ruffles.

Gerry is responsible for MOBIE's range of Advanced Home Futures training programmes, their delivery and educational development. He joined MOBIE after 25 years in Higher Education lecturing and running courses in Construction, Design and Architecture, with a passion to excite, motivate and prepare young people for careers in the built environment.

He recently completed a five year role as External Examiner at Liverpool John Moores University, for their BA Hons Product Design, Spatial Design and 3-D Digital Design courses, and for a number of years he has been a writer for Pearson contributing to their BTEC and HN Level 3 and 4 Construction and Built Environment programmes as well as the new MOBIE/Pearson Future Home Design and Construction HNC and HND.

Andrew and Gerry discuss about how all training has the same common, business critical objective: to equip learners with the skills necessary to be successful and, therefore, to enable organisations to reach their full potential.

Andrew says that for some time, as an industry, we have discussed “skills gaps” and how there is clear lack of skill in the application of digital construction methodologies. But the time has come to take direct action to eliminate these gaps.

Listen as Andrew and Gerry talk about how to bring about critical change to the way we teach digital skills.