Bringing construction to life in schools

Promoting construction careers to school children is a big part of attracting new talent to industry.

One way of showing young people construction’s opportunities is by giving existing workers the skills to effectively share their experiences.

CITB Wales’ Aled Hughes recently visited Read Construction to train staff at the Wrexham-based building contractors on how to bring construction to life in the classroom.

Aled spent a day training five members of staff on Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

“We wanted staff, in a variety of roles, to receive training to broaden our offer on who can visit schools and speak about routes into industry,” explains Kasia Pugh, Read’s Improvement and Engagement Manager.

Kasia says two of the staff who received CITB training are doing apprenticeships “which is great because the young people they meet may relate to them more”.

Ambassador

Technical Apprentice, Adam Dennett, was one of the apprentices to receive training.

Adam is enjoying a Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management at Liverpool John Moores University. Recently, he won a Learner of the Year Award from Read. The training Adam received means he is now an ambassador for industry.

He said: “The training was useful in understanding that providing careers information to young people is needed.

“Receiving training as a Go Construct STEM Ambassador is exciting because it will help me gain confidence and become comfortable presenting in front of large audiences.

“Being an ambassador will allow me to share my experiences at career fairs and events. This will give young people an insight into construction and may impact on their career decisions”.

Adam says one training activity he enjoyed was the ‘The Giant Tetrahedron’ which is part of the CITB resources.

“It’s a two-hour practical activity, to create a 4m x 4m structure,” says Adam. “It’s suitable for small and large groups, it’s an activity I look forward to presenting at future events”.

Opportunities

Adam said that during training, Read staff spoke of how shortages of skilled trades is becoming more noticeable.

CITB’s recently published Construction Skills Network forecast for Wales (PDF 1.4MB) estimates an extra 11,500 workers will be needed, to meet employers’ skills demand in Wales, by 2026. The strongest recruitment levels are for Bricklayers, Electrical trades, Plumbing and HVAC trades.

“Young people are the future of construction in Wales”, says CITB Wales Engagement Adviser, Aled.

“Nurturing their curiosity and interest is a great way of introducing them to the wide choice of job roles construction offers, many of which aren’t on site.

“Sharing skills in the classroom is fulfilling, it can be great fun, too. It was lovely to see the enthusiasm Read staff showed during their training.

“And as our CSN figures show, Welsh construction has opportunities for people with potential”.

If you are an employer interested in receiving CPD training, please contact CITB Wales Customer Engagement Manager Ceri Rush Jones. Email: Ceri.Jones2@citb.co.uk