Bellcurve: Built Environment Lifelong Learning Challenging University Responses to Vocational Education: Lifelong University for the Built Environment

BELLCURVE (Built Environment Lifelong Learning Challenging University Responses to Vocational Education) is a
European Commission funded research project conducted at the School of the Built Environment, University of
Salford, UK, in collaboration with Department of Construction Economics and Property Management, Vilnius
Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania and Department of Building Production, Tallinn University of
Technology, Estonia.
This project addressed issues associated with the mismatch between graduate skills and labour market
requirements as this mismatch has been identified as one of the main factors behind graduate unemployment and
employer dissatisfaction, particularly in the Built Environment (BE) sector. BELLCURVE considered ‘student
engagement’ as a continuous through-life process rather than a temporary traditional engagement limited by the
course duration. This through-life studentship defines the essence of the new innovative “Lifelong University”
concept, whereby providing an opportunity for learners to acquire and develop skills and knowledge enabling
responds to changing construction labour market needs on a continuous basis. This requires a reform in
governance systems to respond labour market needs effectively while promoting the lifelong learning agenda.