DEC BRIDGE - connecting Early Careers teams to extraordinary young people SOCIAL IMPACT - DONE!
Struggling to find the right early careers talent?
DEC Bridge connects employers with the emerging DEC talent pipeline through structured, safeguarded engagement with schools, colleges and young people.
For employers, this is a common-sense, strategic solution that ensures your investment in social impact translates into a visible, effective and future-focused recruitment solution.
The DEC qualification has given our new starters the perfect platform to succeed.
From the outset, they have demonstrated not only strong technical skills but also the right attitude to grow, collaborate and contribute meaningfully.
Whether focusing on mechanical, electrical or digital/BIM in each of their roles, each has shown professionalism, curiosity and commitment beyond their years.
What impresses us most is the balance of capability and character that DEC develops – creating confident young professionals who can quickly add value to projects and thrive within a team.
It’s clear that DEC prepares students exceptionally well for careers in building services and the built environment sector more generally – we can’t wait to add more to our team!
Thom Bone, Project Director
Developed upstream Prepared for industry
DEC students discover careers in the Built Environment long before they apply for a position.
They have progressed through the Design Engineer Construct!® Learning Programme, aligned to real industry projects and professional standards from an early age.
They understand their emerging role in the industry and approach early careers with sector awareness, professional grounding and a genuine desire to contribute to society and the workplace.
Early visibility gives organisations like award-winning engineering consultancy Hoare Lea an advantage – and early engagement with exceptional emerging talent.
Mace, Mott McDonald and Renaker found their early talent through DEC
HOW DEC BRIDGE WORKS FOR ADOPTERS
1. Identify Early
We work with DEC schools and colleges to identify young people who are interested in progressing into Built Environment careers.
2. Share Opportunities
We share suitable apprenticeship, work experience, and early career opportunities with interested DEC students through a coordinated process.
3. Coordinate Introductions
COYO supports appropriate introductions between employers and interested candidates, with additional safeguarding arrangements for under-18s.
4. Prepare for Progression
Students receive application and interview support, while employers gain access to young people who already understand the sector and its professional expectations.
Simon Owen
Early Careers Strategist – Class of Your Own
Former Chairman, CIBSE Yorkshire
COYO Bridge is spearheaded by Simon Owen, bringing over two decades of experience connecting people and industry within the Built Environment sector.
A former Chairman of CIBSE Yorkshire and long-standing contributor to regional industry leadership, Simon combines commercial awareness with a strong commitment to social value and early-career development.
His role ensures COYO Bridge reflects real workforce needs, aligning education pathways with the practical expectations of employers.
Safe, structured engagement
DEC Bridge gives young people and employers a professionally managed route to early careers engagement. Where candidates are under 18, introductions and communications are coordinated through appropriate COYO, school or college processes. Participating employers are expected to follow COYO’s safeguarding requirements and professional Code of Conduct.
A few words from our Founder
We hear it time and again.
Young people who study Design Engineer Construct! have a genuine desire to work in the Built Environment and are ready to contribute. But they still struggle to find their way in, especially when trying to access an apprenticeship.
At the same time, employers tell us they cannot access the talent they need.
There is a disconnect.
If we’re serious about building the future workforce, we must stop treating education and recruitment as separate conversations.
When you adopt a school, support DEC students and engage with them over time, you see that talent develop.
You understand their strengths, their attitude and their potential – and ultimately, you recruit from it.
I’m delighted to welcome Simon Owen to the team. As a well-respected recruitment consultant and a good friend to COYO for many years, he’s well placed to lead DEC Bridge. Together, we can offer a common-sense way to turn meaningful engagement into meaningful outcomes.
It ensures that investment in education leads directly to opportunity for young people, their employers and for the communities they serve.
Alison Watson MBE
Founder & CEO – Class Of Your Own
Past President, CICES
Alison Watson is the founder of the Design, Engineer, Construct! (DEC) learning programme and a long-standing advocate for structured pathways into the Built Environment sector.
Through DEC, she has developed a project-led education model aligned to real industry standards – embedding professional awareness, accountability and sector understanding from an early stage.
DEC Bridge extends that vision, connecting employers directly to the talent pipeline she has built upstream.
