A major misconception of the construction and built environment industry is that all careers focus on manual labour.

As part of the Schools Partnership programme we deliver sessions that smash this falsehood and introduce the full range of available careers.

Alongside volunteers Lucy and Maxine from Willmott Dixon, the Trust spent a morning exploring Construction and the Digital Industry with year 9 students at Eastbury Community School. The session demonstrated how the digital sector is fundamental to modern industry and the necessity of digital roles in all aspects of a...

Through our Schools Partnership programme we don’t only aim to inspire young people to pursue a career in the construction and built environment, we also give them practical advice and support on how to achieve them.

The Trust spent a session with students from Fulham Enterprise Studios exploring the types of interviews that they will be expected to undertake to secure places on apprenticeship and further education programmes. For many of the students the session represented their first encounter with the interviewing process. The students covered techniques equipping them for...

It can be a daunting task deciding what you want to do as a career and at the Trust we believe the best way to inspire the next generation of industry is to let them experience careers first hand.

As part of our Schools Partnership programme we took a group of Year 10 students to spend a morning at the newly opened JTL Training centre in Maidstone so they could see what it takes to be become an electrician or a plumber. The students engaged in practical tasks like fixing circuit boards and solving plumbing problems.

Being in Year 10, the students still have another year at school...

The Skills Bus made a trip to Northfleet Technology College to spend time with Year 11 students exploring their construction skills and interest in industry careers.

Construction Youth Trust has been working with Northfleet Technology College over the past academic year as part of the Schools Partnership programme, developing relationships with students as they decide upon their options following their GCSE’s. There are many routes the students may choose to enter into a career within the Construction and Built Environment sector and one of the students, Dan, is determined to secure...

Students from Bacons College, Compass School, University Academy of Engineering and City London Academy came to Construction Taster Days at the Trust’s workrooms.

Alongside trainers from Skills For Employment, students who attended the first activity day on the 18th of February worked collaboratively to create a large picnic bench that will be given to a local Southwark community space. Coming from a range of different schools the students had to form a cohesive team learning to work quickly and effectively together to build the bench. The day passed in a blur as the students threw...

The Trust teamed up with Becky Calnan from Southwark Peace Garden to spend a day with students from Southwark Inclusive Learning Services making a practical contribution to the garden’s bat conservation project.

Presented with the raw materials, and a few instructions, the students had to quickly form partnerships and address how best to tackle the task in hand. Constructing the bat boxes pushed the students in the development of their problem solving skills whilst also expanding knowledge of construction and roles within industry. The students had to work quickly measuring wood,...

As part of the Schools Partnership Strategy, we enjoyed a fantastic visit to The Brunel Museum with a group of Year 10’s from Bacons College.

The students met Tim, who took them on an extensive and extremely informative tour around the museum explaining the full history of the Brunel Family and the Thames Tunnel. Part of the tour journeys down the original Rotherhithe tunnel shaft, a talking point for everyone over dinner we’re sure.

After the tour and shaft exp l oration, the stu dents then met Sophia Brunel Hawes. Sophia, sister of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, had shown...

On 24th October, the Trust held an event highlighting different opportunities for young people leaving school. It was hosted by Mace at their HQ in Moorgate. Sixth formers and their parents came from across London to put their burning questions to a fantastic panel of Mace higher-level apprentices and graduates. The session was organised as part of our CITB-funded Higher Level and Degree Apprenticeship project, which aims to raise awareness of the wide range of apprenticeship opportunities that lie within construction and the built environment.

To begin the event, Deavon from...

On Wednesday 28th November, Construction Youth Trust was delighted to be at St. John’s Catholic Comprehensive for the arrival of the Skills Bus! Joff Buels from Skills for Employment brought the mobile workshop to Gravesend in order to spend a day with twelve Year 10 Technology students working on a range of practical construction skills.

Throughout the day, the St John’s students had to work together to build a new picnic table for the school. Despite limited experience, the students quickly picked up measuring, sawing and drilling skills. In groups, they worked to...

July saw the end of the academic year, and for us the chance to reflect on our Schools Partnership Programme which we launched in October 2017. It’s been a really exciting year, with the Trust focusing its full attentions on developing the strategy. For those of you who are yet to get involved, the Schools Partnership Programme sees us bring together a consortium of construction employers and other stakeholders to promote the built environment to young people a consistent way, on behalf of the industry as a whole.

With the support of a wide range of industry partners, we have...