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CITY’S MAJOR CONSTRUCTION SCHEMES HOST UNIQUE STUDENT PROGRAMME

CITY’S MAJOR CONSTRUCTION SCHEMES HOST UNIQUE STUDENT PROGRAMME

STUDENTS from Nottingham seeking career advice and inspiration have taken part in a unique three-day practical learning experience, aimed at promoting the various roles in construction.

G F Tomlinson has been working in partnership with Scape Group, Construction Youth Trust and Nottingham City Council to deliver the Budding Brunels course.

A group of 26 year 12 and 13 students from Bilborough College, Bluecoat Academy and NUAST took part in the event (15 - 17 Nov) which involved career promotion, activities, employability skills training and guided site tours at two of Nottingham’s most significant schemes delivered by G F Tomlinson.

Broadmarsh car park and bus station demolition site and the University of Nottingham’s Advanced Manufacturing Building (AMB) were central to the learning activities.

The students designed and built towers from a range of craft materials and took part in role-play community engagement sessions at the newly-built Scout Hut on the AMB site.

Elliott was one of the students who took part in the programme.

He said: “I’ve always been interested in physics and thought about architecture as my back up career choice. It’s been a good opportunity to speak to industry professionals and has opened up a lot more paths for me. It’s shown me how you can get to where you want to be if you have the determination.”

Imogen signed up to the Budding Brunels programme to gain a clearer idea of university options and her career path.

She said: “I was a bit unsure what I wanted to do, but now I know I want to get a job in the industry. I’ve loved the design side of the activities and being able to be really creative with buildings and bringing everybody’s ideas together - I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Kevin Dodds, operations manager for G F Tomlinson said: “As a family-run business we have a strong ethos on skills and training and are committed to developing the skills of young people to help them reach their full potential.

“Schemes like the Budding Brunels programme are helping to tackle the skills gap within the industry and we’re proud to have worked with our partners to inspire this group of young individuals and encourage them to consider a future career in construction.”

Carol Lynch, chief executive for Construction Youth Trust, added: “At Construction Youth Trust, we see an urgent need to attract more young people into the Built Environment sector. Through our Budding Brunels programme, which relies on direct and meaningful employer engagement to highlight the variety of professional roles in the industry, we inspire and engage young people with relatable role models.

“We are delighted to be working with G F Tomlinson, Nottingham City Council and Scape Group in engaging the young people of Nottingham with the Built Environment sector and we would like to thank them for their support.”

Mark Robinson, chief executive for Scape Group comments: “Attracting talented young people into a career in construction is one of the biggest challenges the industry is currently facing. Despite the fact that the UK needs to recruit 400,000 people each and every year into the industry by 2021, not enough young people see construction as a viable or attractive career option, and are not aware of how varied construction career paths can be.

“Programmes such as the Budding Brunels initiative are great examples of how industry professionals can challenge misconceptions. Providing face-to-face guidance and real-life experience is the best way to engage a generation of future workers, and inspire them to take the next step in accessing the right training and qualifications.”

Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for business, education and skills at Nottingham City Council, said: “As the Broadmarsh regeneration gets underway, Nottingham City Council are proud to be supporting this free programme which will help local students understand more about professional careers in construction and the steps they can take to realise their goals in the industry.

“It’s very important that young people are given the chance to learn about their options for when they leave education by taking part in programmes like this, which is supported by Nottingham Jobs, G F Tomlinson and Construction Youth Group. It’s also vital that we make the most of projects like the Broadmarsh redevelopment and the southside regeneration site which will have a major and positive impact on the city to give young people work experience, introduce them to businesses and create job opportunities in Nottingham.”

Find out more about G F Tomlinson at www.gftomlinson.co.uk or join the conversation at @GFTomlinson.


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