CIOB targets stars of the future

[THE Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) Global Student Challenge competition has been launched – with a new look for 2023.

The competition, which has been running for more than a decade, requires teams of students studying for built environment qualifications to create a virtual organisation to plan and deliver a fictional construction project.

They must demonstrate creative thinking, business planning, entrepreneurial spirit and communication skills to ultimately reach the final and compete against other teams for the coveted Global Student Challenge title.

The winning team will be rewarded with an all-expenses paid trip to CIOB Members’ Forum in the UK to test their ideas in front of some of the world’s finest construction professionals – and importantly gain feedback they can learn from. They will also receive a £2,000 cash prize.

The 2023 challenge will use a new online platform called Sim Venture Validate, which is currently used by a wide range of universities for various subjects to build employability and enterprise skills in curricular and extracurricular learning environments. It is also used by corporate clients for employee skills development and business innovation activities, making it an ideal platform to test CIOB’s Global Student Challenge entrants.

Kate MacBeth, CIOB’s marketing director, said: “We’re really excited to be launching this year’s Global Student Challenge with its new look. The technology now available to us will provide an even more valuable experience for students than our previous set-up - really testing their limits and unleashing their creativity. It opens the door more fully for them to think outside the box, but will also test their analytical and technical skills, so it’s set to be our toughest challenge yet.

“For a decade students from around the world have taken on each other to claim the famous Global Student Challenge title – many of them are now enjoying fantastic careers in the industry and have made connections that will stand them in good stead in the future. We can’t wait to start receiving entries for 2023 and seeing which team will come out on top.”

For more information or to register for the 2023 Global Student Challenge visit gsc.ciob.org. Registration closes on January 30, with the competition taking place between February and April. The winning team will be announced on April 24, 2023.

The challenge is the latest in a series of initiatives by CIOB to nurture future talent. In October the next generation of construction leaders from across the world gathered online, alongside employers, academics and industry professionals, for the launch of the CIOB’s Tomorrow’s Leaders community. More than 600 people from 36 countries heard from a range of speakers, including academics, industry leaders and members of the Tomorrow’s Leaders community, on topics ranging from apprenticeships and professional development to diversity and inclusion.

Following a welcome speech from CIOB’s CEO Caroline Gumble, the event was opened by Sir Clive Woodward, England’s 2003 Rugby Union World Cup-winning head coach, who spoke about the attributes of champions based on his personal experiences in business and sport.

CIOB’s Tomorrow’s Leaders community is aimed at all members to provide them with access to an integrated professional network of industry specialists, personal, technical and managerial learning and development opportunities. It is a platform to voice views on the future of the built environment and the opportunity to request or contribute to resources and services to promote the built environment.

A Steppingstones programme is also being introduced to provide Tomorrow’s Leaders with tagged activities and resources to support their progression to CIOB chartered membership.

Caroline Gumble said: ”One of my priorities is support for CIOBs Tomorrow’s Leaders community. We want this growing, inclusive, global community to provide support and resources for members at every career stage, including those who are starting to make their way in their construction career – and we want the early career professionals to inspire and support innovation where they can.

“Our online launch event was just the start in bringing our Tomorrow’s Leaders to a wider audience, further growing the community and ensuring they can positively influence the industry and the institute.” q

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