Women in Construction
On Tuesday 5th March, 14 students were taken by Mr Hawkins and Miss Woods to Wellington Place to participate in a morning session which focused on ‘Women in Construction’. Students were provided with information about the different roles available in construction and about the company who were hosting the event, Overbury. A trainee Project Manager spoke about her career journey so far and we were taken on a tour of a construction site (in full protective gear of course!) This site, also located at Wellington Place, spanned over 5 floors of an office building which was occupied by Lloyds Bank and other prestigious companies. Students were given a real insight into the different aspects of the construction process, from the first conversation with a client through to the completion of the project. A health and safety expert discussed the regulations which must be followed on site and the different roles involved in getting a project finished on time. Overbury have kindly agreed to send us pictures of the finished office spaces when the job is completed in April, and we are hoping to be able to visit again to see it for ourselves!
Students were asked to give some feedback on the event and were incredibly positive about their experiences. They said:
“This experience has shown us students that construction is not just about bricks and building things. It is also about bringing your imagination to life and being creative. Overbury showed us that women can also be involved in construction.”
“An innovative way to introduce girls and women into the world of construction and to teach them that they can achieve as much as anyone else in the world of construction.”
“A fun experience and chance to explore careers in construction with interesting activities to give an informative insight.”
“We really enjoyed the day and Overbury was a really great company to work with.”
To end the morning session, the students were split into teams and asked to create their own company, who were tasked with designing an office space. Each team was given a floor plan and some ‘to-scale’ furniture blueprints which they could use to furnish the space. All groups presented these designs to the wider group and received feedback from the two experts who were leading the day. We finished the day by walking back to school, via McDonald’s, to reward this cohort of students for their outstanding attitudes to learning in school as well as the way in which they represented the school throughout our visit.