Re-Training in Modern Methods of Construction for a New Career Path
The limited workforce is evident in Irish construction, with the sector historically not desirable enough for career movers. Beth Cocker, Sustainability Engineer at Evolusion Innovation, has broken the mould by embarking on a career in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
Career changes are relatively rare, due to limited training opportunities for people with transferrable skills that may only need technical knowledge, as well as a hesitancy to ‘start from scratch’. However, as MMC becomes the norm, more people see the benefits of working in an innovative industry with a diverse range of job opportunities. This is especially true as construction companies tap into MMC-specific training.
Beth is one such person, leaving behind policing in the UK to move to engineering consultants Evolusion Innovation close to a decade ago – and she hasn’t looked back.
I came back here [to Ireland], with not much of an idea of how I was going to do ... I was essentially going to need to retrain to do something different ... so, I was looking for the right company that could facilitate that.
Sustainability Engineer at Evolusion Innovation
With a background in documentation control prior to joining the police, Beth took a quality assurance role at Evolusion Innovation. Soon after, the firm paid for Beth’s ISO 9001 Lead Auditor qualification, so she could support auditing of company projects.
This was the start of Beth’s re-training to enrich her career in MMC. Moving into the sustainability side of operations, Beth completed another qualification as a BREEAM New Construction UK Assessor, to aid with sustainable building certification for premium projects using volumetric construction practices.
She also learned how to create Environmental Product Declarations, providing data about the environmental impact of a product through its lifespan. In addition, Beth completed paid training in a CPD presenting Steel Construction Industry’s guidance on Designing for Sustainable Construction. All with the support of Evolusion Innovation.
Evolusion Innovation have paid for everything that I've done to reskill.
Sustainability Engineer at Evolusion Innovation
Beth started with Evolusion Innovation despite other job offers in other industries. Why construction? “It offered something completely different from what I was used to in an exciting environment”. This is consistent with the company’s reputation as a multi-disciplinary consultancy expert in 2D panelised and 3D modular MMC projects.
It also demonstrates that investing resources in MMC training can attract new people to the industry. This gives companies access to previously untapped talent to deliver on innovative construction projects while employing people in roles more enriching and dynamic than the building industry could ever offer before.
So, what next? Beth says, thanks to the MMC training Evolusion Innovation has offered, she has found a career path that offers long-term security, diversity of opportunities, and the chance to be a core part of major projects in the Irish construction industry.
I’m very contented with the sustainability side. Climate change targets for the EU, and globally, mean every industry is going to have to meet those requirements ... You need such a broad level of knowledge to do any of the sustainability jobs because they all interact with each other ... and companies can’t make decisions without your information.
Sustainability Engineer at Evolusion Innovation
