Not just another brick in the wall
Alison Watson MBE FCInstCES, Founder and Chief Executive, Class Of Your Own, and new CICES President talks to Danielle Kenneally and Darrell Smart
A MEMBER of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) from Her Majesty The Queen for her contribution to education and the construction industry; the chief executive and founder of Class Of Your Own, a social enterprise that provides innovative and engaging education programmes for the built environment sector; with an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Heriot Watt University; and an Honorary Fellowship from CICES – as your newest president, there is no one better than Alison Watson to champion the importance of education.
As a former land surveyor with more than 17 years’ experience and a deep understanding of the industry and its challenges, opportunities and potential, her passion is to inspire and empower the next generation of professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction by ensuring knowledge is shared.
Her mission?
To ‘Make Space for Education’. Here is your new president, Alison Watson, in her own words.
How would you describe yourself in five words?
Optimistic, determined, happy, kind, loyal.
Who has had the greatest impact on your career? And what do you find the most rewarding?
So many people have believed in me throughout the years and there are so many people to thank, I’d be worried about missing some out. But the greatest impact? My husband.
At the end of 2008, the construction recession was taking its toll. I was riddled with rheumatoid arthritis, injecting myself with some pretty nasty medication just to keep moving and felt sick all the time. I think I was probably at my lowest. I remember asking him, ‘can we afford for me to take six months off to write some stuff for children?’ He backed me – and that’s when I stopped surveying. I also stopped taking the drugs. Altogether.
Maybe it was the combination of refocusing and not going out in all weathers that helped, but I started to feel better. I’ve been in remission since 2010. So his support not only gave me the confidence to switch careers, but continue on what soon became my mission in life.
The most rewarding? Well, with the exception of my lovely daughter, who never once turned me down when I asked, ‘can you help me get this right for someone your age', the most rewarding is our students’ success. I could fill this entire journal with memories – and I fully understand why people get into teaching. The reward of getting a young person through their schooling and onto a pathway they aspire to is incredible – teachers really are the greatest ambassadors our industry could ever have. I feel very lucky to work amongst them.
What inspired you to create Class of Your Own?
Working on the School Building Programme demonstrated how little was understood about construction. And how little the construction industry understood about education. I believed change was needed and wanted to create something that could be taught – a subject that had the same credibility as mathematics. I knew that getting into education wasn’t going to be easy and that I’d need a lot of help to be able to pitch it at the right level.
The most rewarding? Well, with the exception of my lovely daughter, who never once turned me down when I asked ‘Can you help me get this right for someone your age?! ’, the most rewarding is our students’ success. I could fill this entire journal with memories – and I fully understand why people get into teaching.
I was almost obsessive about it being regarded as an academic subject, because I knew if it wasn’t, there’d be no chance of schools being able to deliver it. I wanted the construction industry to be taken seriously, to be respected not only as a STEM destination, but one that was recognised alongside law, finance and medicine.
I started writing what eventually became the Design Engineer Construct! (DEC) learning programme and established Class Of Your Own as the enterprise to create resources, train teachers, and deliver real social impact.
How does Class of Your Own interact with young people and what is the engagement like?
We interact through our DEC programme, which is specifically designed to inspire and educate students about a sustainable and digital built environment. It’s designed so it integrates into the school curriculum, meaning students engage with it in a structured way, but also in a very hands-on way. The project-based approach means that the subject matter feels relevant to the world they live in.
One of the most exciting aspects of our interaction is the way students tackle real-world problems. They get the opportunity to work on practical design challenges, like developing plans for a rail station or designing for healthcare. These aren’t just hypothetical exercises – they’re connected to real issues and even global challenges, such as those outlined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This creates a deep level of engagement because students can see how their work might have a genuine impact.
We also connect students with industry professionals, which I think is a crucial part of what we do. These professionals act as mentors, passing on great knowledge, guiding them to think in ways that align with genuine industry processes and giving them insight into the range of careers available in the sector. The chance to work alongside people who are actively shaping the built environment really brings the learning to life for young people. They get hands-on experience with the same technology used in the industry today and this exposure helps them see how the skills they’re learning in the classroom translates into the workplace.
We encourage students to think about the future – particularly in terms of sustainability.
We want them to understand the critical role that innovative design and construction methods will play in solving the environmental challenges we face. So, through projects and challenges, students are always thinking about how their ideas can contribute to and even influence a more sustainable world; the world they’ll inherit. The sense of ownership and accomplishment students feel really enhances their investment in the learning process.
I could be saying this in the 1980s as I am today. It’s a frustration – every time I read another report about ‘the skills gap/issue/crisis’ I think ‘how many more before someone in government sorts this out?’ It’s education, education, EDUCATION. Tony Blair might be marmite, but he certainly got that right.Importantly, we ensure that all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, can fully engage with the programme. We work to make sure the programme is inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or abilities. It’s one of the reasons we encourage schools to start with DEC as young as possible, before stereotypes are established. That’s why our classes are so diverse.
Overall, the feedback we get is that the students are highly motivated and excited to study DEC. For them, it’s as real as it gets and one of my favourite quotes is from a 14 year old student in Manchester. She told me, ‘the classroom doesn’t feel like a classroom – it’s more like an office!’ – I’ll take that.
What obstacles do students face to join the built environment industry?
Generally, I think our students face fewer obstacles than most, largely due to the fact that their schools really understand the opportunity our industry provides them. However, in danger of sounding like a stuck record, there are still issues. I could be saying this in the 1980s as I am today. It’s a frustration – every time I read another report about ‘the skills gap/issue/crisis’ I think ‘how many more before someone in government sorts this out?’ It’s education, education, EDUCATION. Tony Blair might be marmite, but he certainly got that right.
So – to speak of what many people already know, one of the biggest obstacles is simply awareness. Many students still don’t even know the breadth of roles available in the sector. They might be familiar with architects and builders, but the variety of careers – like digital engineers, geospatial surveyors or sustainability consultants – often remains hidden from them. It’s critical that we work to make these careers more visible, so young people understand what’s possible.
Another issue is the perception of the industry. It’s still considered to be a dirty, old-fashioned or male-dominated industry. This puts students off, especially girls or those with an interest in technology and innovation. It means they do not see it as a modern, dynamic career choice, when it is. In reality, we need digital and data analysis skills more than ever.
Then there’s the education gap. Not all schools have the resources to offer robust STEM education or the kind of digital skills training that’s so important for the modern built environment. As a result, students often don’t develop the right skills early enough to feel confident pursuing these careers.
Access to work experience and apprenticeships is another key barrier. Not all students have easy access to the experiential learning that employers are looking for. Apprenticeships and meaningful work placements are vital for bridging the gap between education and the workplace, and we need to ensure they’re available to everyone, not just a select few.
Finally, I’d say there’s often a lack of clarity around entry pathways. The industry offers various routes, from university degrees to apprenticeships, but young people are often left confused about the best option for them. Providing clearer guidance and more flexibility to entry points will help demystify the process.
Why did you originally join CICES?
I’d always known about the institution when I was surveying, but it’s through my work in education that I’ve become more involved. I received a great surprise from past president, Chris Preston, then at Network Rail, back in 2014 with a nomination for the Richard Carter Prize and ‘would I be willing to accept?’ It was a really lovely gesture and an absolute honour. We didn’t know each other – I received an email, then a call from him while stood in the middle of Waterloo Station, so you could call it karma. He told me he’d followed my work and believed in what I was trying to do. It meant a lot – and still does ten years on, to stand in his shoes and say, ‘Chris, I’m still at it.’ When Chris presented me with my honorary fellowship, it was another really humbling moment – and now as president, well, you can imagine. It’s really special.
Your presidential theme is ‘Make Space for Education’. It’s a powerful call to action – why is this important to you?
Teachers are our best ambassadors, but at the moment, specialist subject knowledge is reserved for post-16 education. My theme, ‘Make Space for Education’ is a powerful call to action.
Teachers are our best ambassadors, but at the moment, specialist subject knowledge is reserved for post-16 education. My theme, ‘Make Space for Education’ is a powerful call to action.Education is more often than not a tick-box for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social value. I’m always challenging this approach. We should be thinking ‘future talent’ every time we go into a school and yet talent and CSR is hardly every joined up. I remember a colleague from one of the UK’s top engineering consultancies telling me, ‘the social value team and HR never speaks to each other’. It makes no sense.
Think of project timelines being anywhere (from concept to handover) being two years to 30 years. How many children could come through a truly joined up system that funnels young talent straight into apprenticeships? The trouble is, ‘meaningful engagements’ with industry are often squished in alongside other career opportunities and from every other sector. We’re competing with the banks, with healthcare, with fashion, with science, with universities. And as such, we need to be more impactful, memorable and offer something that is tangible.
We must engage young people with careers in surveying much earlier than we currently do. Waiting until they turn 16 is too late – by then, many career choices are already influenced, and we risk losing the opportunity to showcase the exciting and diverse world of surveying. My presidential theme is a huge topic and something I’d like to cover in more detail in my first President’s Column next month.
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What industry changes would you like see towards education and recruitment?
Having just gone through another year trying to help our students navigate their career pathways, I’d like to encourage more targeted support for schools because much careers advice is still very general. I’ve talked to a lot of careers leads and I think they’d like this too. The CVs I receive are generally pretty poor, and similarly personal statements. Perhaps they come from a standard ‘one size fits all’ template as they always seem to include ‘ever since I was a child’, ‘I dream of’, ‘I’m passionate about’ and yet there’s a complete lack of real evidence to support these claims.
It would be great to see more project-based learning embedded into the national curriculum, ensuring every child experiences the real-world applications of STEM subjects, especially with early engagement with surveying and geospatial careers.I’ve established a ‘Resilient Future Leaders’ programme with a fantastic former DEC headteacher and together we’re working with organisations to break down the recruitment process into manageable chunks. Not everyone knows how to sell themselves and articulate their key skills, or how they deal with different scenarios. The recruitment process could be reconfigured to provide equitable opportunities for young people by using more flexible interview formats and alternative assessment methods that allow candidates to showcase their strengths in diverse ways.
It’s why I always insist our students include a link to their portfolios, include a memory where they had great interaction from visiting professionals. I’ve known fantastic students fall through the gap and lose out on a degree apprenticeship because ‘the computer said no’. I know it’s a tough ask for recruiters – and that’s why I’m an advocate of developing long term relationships with school and ‘growing your own talent’.
How can academia and professional bodies help?
Join together. There are far too many silos, too many groups competing for the same students.
If you could have one magic fix for construction/infrastructure, what would it be?
I’m actually going to take it back to learning. Years ago, when I was working with Peter Horsfall and his team at Liverpool John Moores University’s school of education, he suggested that DEC was not only a transformational curriculum, but also an opportunity to transform teacher training. Industry could support initial teacher training by providing the same real-world case studies, hands-on workshops and access to professionals as they do for children in schools.
This would create an entire generation of new teachers who can demonstrate practical applications of subject specialisms and relate classroom concepts to real-life careers and industry challenges. I’m sure this would help them to make their lessons more engaging and relevant for students.
I’d also love industry leaders to give our politicians some work experience, so they too will understand the needs of industry better than they do now. It would be great to see more project-based learning embedded into the national curriculum, ensuring every child experiences the real-world applications of STEM subjects, especially with early engagement with surveying and geospatial careers. It’s sad to say that many young people (and often adults) cannot describe a metre – what we do as an industry is not just critical for the future of construction, it’s a life skill.
You’re extremely passionate about the work you want to achieve, how do you spend your downtime?
I love spending time with my family and I’m a massive fan of hiking in the countryside with our two dogs in tow. I adore the great outdoors and there’s nothing better than standing on top of a hill and breathing in the sights, sounds and smells of an entire landscape. Finish off a day with a nice pub meal and half a Guinness or a good red wine – bliss.
Watson’s wonderful...
Book: Anything about travelling – but I’m also reading Thomas Heatherwick’s ‘Humanise’ at the moment. I love looking at buildings in the different places I visit – this book should be in everyone’s rucksack.
Film: A Good Year with Russell Crowe. It’s a feel-good film I never get tired of and the message of ‘what’s important in life’ really shines through.
Music: Miles Davis, Coldplay, Crowded House, Beethoven and especially his 5th – cliché, but it’s so much more than de-de-de-derggghhhhhh.
Sport: I’m not a huge sports fan (unless hiking is a sport?!) but I like to catch a good cycle race.
Food: Anything spicy, loads of vegetables, a fresh and interesting salad – and bread. I love fresh bread.
Country: Italy.
Building: Anything Georgian – in terms of making space, these guys really did it very well.
Alison Watson MBE FCInstCES, Founder and Chief Executive, Class Of Your Own and new CICES President talks to Danielle Kenneally and Darrell Smart