Children from two schools in Derby are getting their hands dirty on site with local construction firm G F Tomlinson as part of the innovative “Just Imagine… working here!” scheme.
The budding ‘Bob the Builders’ today headed on-site to see some of the many skills carried out by construction workers as part of the Derby City Council initiative, designed to inspire young people about the world of work.
Youngsters from St Alban’s Catholic Primary School in Chaddesden were invited to G F Tomlinson’s current construction site at Derby Innovation Centre on Infinity Park, Chellaston
They donned hard hats and high-vis jackets to tour the site and find out how the building is being constructed and what kind of machinery and materials are being put in place – including several energy-efficient features, such as a photo voltaic roof and air source heat pumps.
Ian Dalby, contracts manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’ve really enjoyed meeting the children and showing them what it’s really like to have a job in construction. ”
“This is a brilliant initiative and will help to inspire a whole new generation of school pupils, allowing them to see the world of work, possibly for the first time, and encouraging them to study hard and raise their aspirations. ”
“As well as learning more about the importance of safety on construction sites, the children enjoyed fun worksheet activities such as a word search puzzle and a digger maze. They’ve also had the chance to work as a team to build their own construction project using large display boards.”
Fiona Muldoon, year six teacher at St Alban’s, added: “The children were thrilled to get the chance to see how buildings actually go up and find out more about how much planning and preparation is involved in a construction project. ”
“It has been great to get out of the classroom and see first-hand what it’s like to have a job, and we’re really grateful to G F Tomlinson for inviting us along and perhaps inspiring some of the pupils to think about construction as a future career.”
This is the second year the Just Imagine… Working Here! initiative has been run, with more young people than ever getting the opportunity to visit major companies around the city.
