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| November, 2006 Constructing the Future
Hard hats and a holiday? Not for the four GCSE students from Torbay School, whose November visit to a Bovey Construction site in Payhembury, near Honiton proved a real eye-opener. Yes, they were expecting a guided tour, which they hoped would inform their career choices. But the sight of thatchers hard at work on the roofs of two new houses seemed something of an anachronism on a modern building site. But, as site manager, Simon Curling, explained, the reason was simple: the firm was building a modern version of two traditional houses that had been destroyed in a fire. For the students, this was an ideal opportunity to see for themselves how technology can complement traditional skills, as the thatchers constructed the roof on top of a modern fire-retardant skin, laid over oak trusses. Was the visit a success? Yes. It was a wet, windy day and the site was muddy. This in itself was a lesson in practicalities. But, while two of the four were less than enthralled by the contrast between design technology in the classroom and the realities of a career in construction, both Craig Booth and Tom Lock liked what they saw. As Tom said at the end of the tour, “If I can do what they do, I’ll be really proud.” The next step for the two is to complete work experience with a local employer. If they do that and are still keen, then according to Bovey Construction, who have won a 2006 National Training Award, the training and career opportunities in construction are greater now for talented young people than ever before. |
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