Construction Site Management Apprenticeship – Construction Management BSc Honours

Our degree apprenticeship courses

We currently offer a range of degree apprenticeship courses. For the full range of courses visit our apprenticeships page for applicants or for business partners.

Course summary

This degree apprenticeship provides a comprehensive and professionally-oriented study of the management and organisation of sustainable construction production over the building project life cycle.

Starting at Level 5, equivalent to the second year of an undergraduate degree, apprentices gain a BSc Honours in Construction Management. Those with insufficient experience can study our Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor apprenticeship first.

Supported by their employer to ‘earn while they learn’ without paying course fees, apprentices will learn about the technologies of domestic, industrial and commercial building, construction processes, planning and programming, construction health and safety, and project life cycle assessment. Real-life case studies, problem- and work-based learning bring professional practice to the classroom, while apprentices apply their learning to workplace projects.

The University is ranked 14th in the UK for Building by The Times Good University Guide 2021, placing Westminster 2nd in London. Our central London location and numerous industry contacts, which include Great Portland Estates, Mace, Lendlease, The Portman Estate and The Crown Estate, provide buildings as case studies for coursework, learning materials (drawings, reports, client briefs etc.) and come into the University to give face-to-face formative feedback on students’ work.

Register apprentices here

Course structure

This is a three-year course. Apprentices must be employed by a construction employer. Time spent on work and training is split 80/20, meaning the apprentices spend 20% of their time learning which can include time at the University and work-based training, linked to the apprenticeship, provided by the employer.

Accreditations

This apprenticeship will include the knowledge, skills and behaviours typically required to achieve full member or chartered status with the industry’s recognised professional bodies. The final assessment process for this apprenticeship will typically be partly representative of the review process required for professional registration.

The Construction Management BSc Honours is fully accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), the world's largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership, which has granted Westminster Business School ‘Accredited Centre Status’. Construction Management graduates from Westminster can apply, with appropriate experience, for membership of CIOB and the designation MCIOB. The course is additionally accredited by the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), an internationally recognised awarding professional body for building engineering in the UK and overseas.

On completing and passing the End Point Assessment, apprentices will automatically qualify for MCIOB–L6.

Programme specification

For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the programme specification.

To request an accessible version of the programme specification, please email [email protected].

Download the Programme Specification

Entry requirements and eligibility

Our apprenticeships are only available to those employed as part of an agreed apprenticeship scheme in a related role, who are aged 18 or over on the first day, are not in full-time education and meet the ESFA funding eligibility criteria. Further details are available on our How to apply page.

Applicants must also meet the academic entry requirements of the course:

• BTEC HND/HNC in Construction or Built Environment: Merit profile

or

• Construction Site Supervisor Apprenticeship (an interview might be required to assess the applicant’s suitability for the apprenticeship) 

In addition to the above, it is a requirement that all applicants can demonstrate competency at a Level 2 standard in English and maths. This will be assessed during the application process, as part of the initial assessment stage.

It is a mandatory requirement, that in order for an apprentice to reach End Point Assessment, they must hold a Level 2 achievement in English and maths and be able to provide a copy of the original certificate of achievement.

Current acceptable evidence can be found on the Education and Skills Funding Agency's list of acceptable qualifications for English and maths requirements.

Those who are able to demonstrate competence at Level 2 but who are unable to provide evidence of prior attainment, such as a GCSE at grade C or 4 and above in English and Maths, will be required to obtain this during their first year of the apprenticeship. The University of Westminster will support any apprentice this affects, by facilitating an option to study for Level 2 Functional Skills English and maths with a partner organisation, in order to meet the requirement to progress to year two of the apprenticeship.

Fees

Employers who pay the levy are able to use their available levy funds to cover the training and assessment costs. Employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy share the cost of training and assessing their apprentices with the government – this is called 'co-investment'. Non-levy paying employers will contribute 5% towards the cost of apprenticeship training and the government will pay the rest (95%) up to the funding band maximum.

University module retakes are not included in apprenticeship levy funding. Employers will be charged separately. The current fee is £1,540 (price per 20-credit module).

One End Point Assessment (EPA) attempt is included in the apprenticeship levy funding. Any EPA resits are payable by the employer outside the levy. The EPA resit fees are:

• Knowledge Test £50 (first resit fee)
• Appendix B and C (Project) £200
• Professional Discussion £400

Careers/professional development

This course complements and enhances workplace knowledge and experience, boosting the apprentice’s career prospects, on-the-job performance and satisfaction. It also demonstrates the employer’s commitment to staff development, enhancing their appeal to future employees.

Apprentices must be in full-time employment in a role associated with the management of construction projects, office or site based. Construction site managers ensure site safety, manage productivity, review environmental impact, manage interfaces between stakeholders and ensure adherence to specifications and quality standards.

Course Leader

Steve Phillips

Dr Steve Phillips BSc MSc MPhil(Cantab) PGCert EngD FRICS MCIOB FCABE AFHEA has worked in the UK construction industry since 1978. He worked as a building labourer for five years after he left school before he decided to become a construction professional and has now qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor [FRICS], a Chartered Construction Manager [MCIOB] and a Chartered Building Engineer [FCABE]. Steve has held several senior positions within the UK construction industry including being the managing director of a specialist dispute-resolution chartered surveying practice and an executive board member of a major social housing landlord organisation.

Steve has overseen the successful delivery of numerous complex multi-million pound construction projects including the new build, refurbishment, and deep retrofitting of both commercial and residential properties. He has also provided expert witness evidence on major works service charge disputes to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal, various Arbitration Tribunals and sat on the Government Working Party which amended the Service Charge Consultation Regulations in 2003.

Steve is a dedicated educator and has been involved in the delivery of construction apprenticeships since 2017. At the University of Westminster, he is Course Leader for several apprenticeship degree courses including Level 6 Construction Site Management and L4 Construction Site Supervision. He plays a crucial role in the curriculum development of these courses and is passionate about providing his students with an industry relevant education especially around sustainable construction methodologies and the reduction of carbon emissions in the built environment.

As an alumnus of the University of Cambridge and a winner of the CIOB International Research Award Steve is a well-respected figure in the industry and outside of the University of Westminster he sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation and is a reviewer for several other academic journals. He is also a RICS APC Assessor on the Building Surveying Pathway and is an External Examiner in Construction Management, Building Surveying and Quantity Surveying at the University of West London.

Teaching and assessment

This is how you can expect to be taught and assessed at the University of Westminster. Your apprenticeship will include additional requirements, agreed in partnership with your employer, designed to develop and evidence your skills in the workplace.

How you'll be taught

Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application.

Learning typically falls into two broad categories:

• Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
• Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision

How you'll be assessed

Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.

Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:

• Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts  
• Written exams: end of semester exams
• Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertations

Course location

Our Marylebone Campus has benefitted from a multi-million-pound refurbishment resulting in new workshops, digital studios and development of the Marylebone Library. The campus is home to Westminster Business School and our award-winning Architecture, Planning and Tourism courses.

For more details, visit our Marylebone Campus page.

Contact us

We are keen to establish new relationships with employers from a wide range of sectors and welcome enquiries. For more information please contact our dedicated apprenticeships team on:

+44 (0) 207 911 5027
[email protected]