Local school children have been given a taste of the construction trade at a series of career workshops.
The Hertitage Centre hosted the workshops from May 9 until May 12. Students aged 14 and 15 had the chance to work alongside qualified professionals and take part in hands on activities.
What did they learn?
The aim of the Construction Careers project is to raise pupils’ awareness of the employment opportunities in the construction industry. They learned how they could become a:
- surveyor
- project manager
- plumber
- electrician
- carpenter
- builder
- architect
- structural engineer
- painter and decorator
- tiler
- plasterer
- bricklayer
- solar panel installer.
Participants were given information on the necessary qualifications or training required for the trade they are interested in.
Great opportunity
Greenwich’s Director of Children's Services, Paul Burnett, attended the workshops on May 9 to meet the organisers and speak to the young people taking part.
He said: "This is a great opportunity for our young people to get a real idea of what the construction industry is like, and it couldn’t come at a better time. We have a huge amount of regeneration going on locally which will demand a skilled local workforce.
"Pupils in years ten and eleven are at the age where they have to make some tough decisions about their career paths and these workshops really help them to make the right choice.
"We’ve built on the number of participants that were involved last year, with around 500 pupils from Greenwich school’s already taking part. I’m so pleased to see so many of our pupils taking advantage of this important project."
Funding
The events were organised and funded by Greenwich Education Business Partnership and London and Quadrant Housing Trust.
16 May 2006