Posted on 12 March
Leeds College of Building (LCB) and Yorkshire Children’s Charity (YCC) came together to host a ‘Constructing Careers’ event for Year 10 students from local schools.
Students from Lawnswood School and Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School took part in a variety of workshops focused on architecture and structural engineering.
Spokespeople from Henry Root and Hexa joined our Brickwork lecturers in the sessions at our South Bank Campus to talk about the opportunities a career in construction can provide.
The event was the second year in a row LCB have provided their facilities for the event organised by YCC aimed at promoting construction and the built environment as a career path for school leavers.
Julia Day, Programmes Manager for YCC, said:
“Today is all about opening the eyes of our children to careers that they wouldn’t necessarily have thought about doing when they leave school.
“Construction is such a varied industry – whether you’re going in as a bricklayer, electrician, or whether you’re more office-based, there are so many different options.”
After spending the morning hopping between practical lessons, the students ended their day in one of our brick workshops, where LCB lecturer Gurjit Rayat taught everyone the ‘basics of being a brickie’.
Various staff and volunteers from both schools couldn’t help but get involved alongside the students in Gurjit’s bricklaying competition which rounded off a day of talks and hands-on learning.
Rob Smith, LCB Head of Partnerships & Skills, said:
“In a time where the number of young people at risk of heading into the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) Category hits nearly one million, it is essential that schools, colleges and our partners work together to create events that allow our young people to engage in areas they haven’t previously been introduced to.
“Today’s event was a genuine pleasure. It was amazing to see the students, all in overalls, trying their hand at Bricklaying. I honestly think the girls were better than the boys but crucially, all who took part really enjoyed the experience.”
To read more about Yorkshire Children’s Charity click here, to find an LCB course that works for you click here.
