16/07/08 - Teens get a taste of construction work
Teenagers at a school near Worcester are getting a taste of life in the construction industry by building their own outdoor classroom.
A group of Year 10 students from Chantry High School, in Martley, are working alongside Midland-based contractor Thomas Vale, in partnership with local housing association Nexus Housing.
Thomas Vale recently secured a £1 million project to build eight houses in nearby Coppice Close, Hallow, due to be completed in February 2009. The project is being carried out through a four-year agreement recently awarded to the contractor by Spectrum Development Partnership, which aims to build 1,000 new affordable homes in the West Midlands each year.
The project at the school is a way of contributing further to the local community by both Thomas Vale and Nexus Housing, part of the West Mercia Housing Group which is the lead partner in the Spectrum consortium.
It aims to provide hands-on experience to pupils who expressed an interest in embarking on a career in construction, but cannot complete work experience on a “live” building site due to health and safety restrictions.
After discussions with the school, it was agreed that this development project would provide the students with construction experience involving undertaking an extensive health and safety assessment, estimating the cost of materials and labour, setting up their own site and being involved in all aspects of the works, including monitoring expenditure.
They will transform a piece of unused land in their playground into a ‘classroom in the garden’ which will be used by current and future pupils for lessons outside in summer, in an enhanced learning environment.
The students have been involved with the layout and design of the feature and will continue their work into the summer holidays. As the project progresses, they will attend organised visits to an external building site to gain a better understanding of construction activities
Liz Staveley, Business Services Director at West Mercia Housing Group, said: “Being a responsible landlord and developer involves more than simply supplying bricks and mortar. It is about contributing to the development of the wider community.
“Working with Thomas Vale to help give local pupils a taste of life in the construction industry is also a way of ensuring that future generations of school leavers want to pursue a career in the sector.
“The pupils are being involved in every stage of the process, from planning through site preparation to the building and landscaping. It will ultimately create a new resource for the school to use with an area in the school grounds where certain lessons can be held – weather permitting!”
Earlier this year it was announced that Spectrum Development Partnership – made up of ten leading West Midlands housing associations – had been awarded more than £30 million over the next two years by the Housing Corporation to develop affordable homes in the region. The money will be spent on new homes for rent and affordable ownership across urban and rural areas.
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