NMITE’s two-year accelerated, industry-led Construction Management degree is helping young people to gain hands on experience and help the UK to meet its ever-growing construction demands.
With the UK construction industry facing persistent skills shortages and growing demand across housing, infrastructure, retrofit and heritage projects, innovative approaches to workforce development are becoming increasingly important. According to Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) forecasts, the sector will require almost 48,000 additional workers annually between 2025 and 2029. Addressing this challenge will require not only recruitment but new models of education that better connect learners with industry and real-world project delivery.
One example is a recent collaboration between the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) and the Snodhill Castle Preservation Trust, which provided NMITE’s construction students with the opportunity to tackle live construction, conservation and visitor experience challenges at one of Herefordshire's most significant heritage assets.
The initiative formed part of SCPT's "Fortifying the Future" project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which seeks to secure the long-term future of the historic castle while creating new opportunities for public engagement, education and heritage discovery. The project together students from NMITE for an intensive eight-day challenge focused on structural monitoring, site management and visitor engagement.
Working alongside heritage professionals and informed by previous surveys, archaeological studies and stakeholder research, students explored how digital technologies, surveying techniques and data collection methodologies could support the long-term management of the historic castle.
Andy de Bell, Trustee of SCPT said "The NMITE students brought creativity and imagination to the solutions they recommended: things that, for a small trust such as ours, are practical and realistic for us to implement. I can't wait until I have an opportunity to bring different projects to the team to get the same kind of input."
One group of students investigated approaches to structural monitoring, examining how condition data could be captured and utilised to support future maintenance planning and risk management strategies. Their work focused on defining monitoring requirements and identifying opportunities for future implementation rather than delivering a finished technical solution.
The second group of students concentrated on enhancing the visitor entrance experience. They developed ideas to improve access to information, gather feedback and make the site more inviting. Working through the early stages of the design process, students generated and refined a range of creative concepts that could help shape future visitor engagement.
NMITE’s Professor Sarah Hitt who is Programme Lead for the BSc Construction Management degree said” We were delighted to have worked with the Snodhill Castle Preservation Trust. Working with real-world partners enables our students to practice engagement, leadership and teamwork skills, while navigating problems and overcoming setbacks. And if this appeals to students who want to enter the construction sector and want to learn through industry-led learning, digital innovation and sustainable construction practices then please get in touch as we are currently recruiting students for the BSc (Hons) Construction Management degree starting in September 2026.”
The challenge demonstrates how project-based learning can help bridge the gap between education and industry practice. By working with live clients, real constraints and authentic project objectives, students gain exposure to the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of the modern built environment sector.
The initiative also highlights the growing importance of heritage assets as learning environments. Historic buildings and structures present many of the same challenges facing the wider construction sector, including asset management, sustainability, digital surveying, stakeholder engagement and long-term resilience.
At the conclusion of the programme, students presented their findings and recommendations to representatives from the Snodhill Castle Preservation Trust, providing valuable insights that may help inform future development and conservation activities.
The project reflects NMITE's educational approach, which places industry collaboration and challenge-based learning at the centre of the student experience. Rather than relying solely on traditional teaching methods, students work directly with businesses, communities and organisations to develop technical knowledge alongside the professional skills increasingly sought by employers.
As the construction industry continues to respond to labour shortages, technological change and the transition to a more sustainable built environment, initiatives that connect education with real projects are likely to play an increasingly important role in developing the next generation of construction professionals.
NMITE’s accelerated, industry-led Construction Management degree is designed to develop work-ready professionals equipped to help shape the future of the built environment. Delivered over two years, the programme responds to growing demand for skilled construction leaders as the UK works to deliver new homes, renew critical infrastructure and create thriving, sustainable communities.