There has been criticism levelled at the architecture profession that it is elitist and the route to qualification is prohibitive to many both in terms of cost and opportunity. This has affected the diversity that exists within architecture and, according to some, the quality and richness of the places we create.

This year, however, a new apprenticeship scheme was launched thanks to a group of 20 architectural practices, one of which was my employer HLM. Architecture has now caught up with other areas of our industry – civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, carpentry and bricklaying – to name a few. The qualifications now available through the RIBA scheme are Level 6 architectural assistant including Part I qualification and Level 7 architect, which includes Part II and Part III.

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