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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) today welcomes the Government's response to Unleashing Aspiration, theFair Access to the Professions report which was an initiative by the Gateways to the Professions Collaborative Forum.

Alan Milburn's panel, on which Sunand Prasad Immediate Past President of the RIBA originally took part, reported the challenges that face young people wishing to pursue a professional career in a number of industries (including architecture). It outlined a series of recommendations to encourage a wider pool of talented people to succeed in the professions, regardless of their social or economic background.  There are many areas that the professions can respond to and the new Gateways to the Professions Collaborative Forum should provide the direction and guidance for positive action. 

Speaking about the forum, Ruth Reed, RIBA President said:

"The RIBA is committed to ensuring the architecture profession is inclusive and representative and will be doing what it can to support this new forum. The RIBA has put in place and will continue to develop a number of measures to help to address this objective. Improvements in access to a career in architecture can include improving careers advice in schools, promoting mentoring schemes, offering work placement support and developing flexible study options. The HostPractice scheme for example, is a good way to support graduates in an architect's practice where they can get further experience hopefully leading to some form of employment.

'Not only does the profession need to reach and inspire young people from different backgrounds to consider a career in architecture, but it can also do more to support people through their education, into work placements and into work. 'Unleashing Aspiration' set us a challenge, which we are rising to.'

 

RIBA proposals addressing issues highlighted by the Fair Access to the Professions 'Unleashing Aspiration' report include:

Careers advice

• RIBA will promote more members to work as STEMNET ambassadors visiting inner city, lower income schools to discuss and teach architectural design.
• RIBA will develop careers brie fings for secondary schools.

 

Career stage mentoring

• RIBA's 2010 scoping study  for career stage mentoring will offer secondary school pupils, students, and emergent professionals engagement with trained mentors.

 

Commissioning statistics and research

• RIBA visiting boards will refine their terms of reference for interrogating the demographic of schools of architecture.

 

Strategies and support for work placement

• RIBA Chartered Practices will offer further structured work experience to secondary school pupils who cannot identify suitable placements.
• RIBA will further promote the HostPractice scheme connecting architecture graduates who wish to undertake practical experience.

 

Flexible study

• RIBA will develop viable learn and earn initiatives as a tax efficient model for employment.
• RIBA is promoting courses to support those who have left the profession because of socio-economic reasons, family pressures or redundancy, to return to practice.
• RIBA-registered Teaching Practices will broker collaborations between academia and practitioners to co-deliver elements of architectural education.