Build Torbay is holding a series of events in partnership with contractors working in the Bay, to inspire a future generation of Torbay residents to take up rewarding careers and training in the construction industry.
An Open Site event was held on 11 May and hosted by Nevada Construction at Mayfield School in Torquay, where they have been contracted by TDA to build a new admin block as part of Torbay Council’s Schools Capital Programme.
Torbay secondary schools were invited to bring students to the working site to find out about the process of planning, designing, and project managing the scheme, followed by a tour of the site and the opportunity to talk about and ask questions about working in construction with Nevada’s experienced site managers.
Jamie Cree, Deputy Head of South Devon High School said: “A huge thank you to Build Torbay and @nevadaconstructionltd who supported a careers visit for a group of our year 10 students interested in careers in construction. The students really enjoyed visiting the new Mayfield School building development and witness a real building site in action. Students got to meet staff from a range of construction careers, such as quantity surveyors, project managers, building site managers and electricians, as well as many other specialist trades people.
“Nevada Construction spoke about the amazing job opportunities they offer, which included a range of different apprenticeships. The students definitely went away inspired to explore construction careers further. They were also really impressed to hear about all the apprenticeship routes on offer.
“Opening our students’ eyes to careers for their futures is a key part of our curriculum and school values. We know how important it is for them to have a focus on their next steps, as it supports them in raising their aspirations and having clear goals. We look forward to working closely with Build Torbay and Nevada Construction again in the future.
Richard Towl, Director at Nevada Construction, said: “Nevada were delighted to host students from South Devon High School and show them our current project at The Mayfield School, Torquay. We were pleased to be able to tell them about the works being undertaken and go through, in detail, the many different elements of the construction process, from project management and surveying to carpentry and the mechanical & electrical installations. Our Site Managers, Alan Ogilvie and Neil Phillips, were able to impart their broad knowledge, which collectively spans more than 40 years within the construction industry . They also gave constructive advice on the merits of learning a specific trade as a stable grounding for a career in construction.
Our Assistant Quantity Surveyors, Tommy Burr and James Tancock, were able to offer a valuable insight into quantity surveying and managing high profile projects from start to finish. Both have joined Nevada from different training backgrounds, and are currently studying for degrees while working with and learning from the Nevada team.
It was a pleasure for our team to see a group of young people so engaged and inspired, and potentially considering a career in the construction industry. We are looking forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with Build Torbay and providing further value to the future generation of construction.”
Cllr Swithin Long, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Tourism and Housing for Torbay Council said: “Torbay Council’s successful funding bids to build new spaces for people to thrive will create around 5,000 additional construction jobs, presenting employment and training opportunities in a variety of job roles.
“Because we’re committed to generating wealth for the local community for every pound that we spend; we want to promote these high-value careers to young people in Torbay, and one of the ways that we’re doing that is by working with contractors to showcase this exciting industry in action. Thanks to Nevada and Mayfield School for hosting the first of many in our series of Build Torbay open sites events.”
Torbay schools wishing to take part in future open site visits – and contractors offering up live construction sites in Torbay for school visits – can contact the Build Torbay Skills Coordinator at: Helena.davison@tda.uk.net
More information about Build Torbay can be found at: www.buildtorbay.co.uk and by signing up to the quarterly newsletter and following @BuildTorbay on Twitter and @TDA on LinkedIn
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