Turves Green Boys’ School experience ‘apprentice day in the life’ at Construction College Midlands

Students from Turves Green Boys’ School have explored apprenticeships ‘from the ground up’ after taking part in a practical workshop at Construction College Midlands.

The Year 8 and 9 students donned hi-vis jackets, safety hats and boots and tried their hands at groundworks as a way of introducing them to the industry.

As the first trade onsite, the students were able to see how groundworkers are responsible for clearing areas, setting out and preparing sub-surfaces.  Using diagrams, they were then tasked with laying foundations and a block formation evenly.

Arthur Jevons, Site Manager at Construction College Midlands said: “The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) says around 4,000 extra workers are needed annually across the West Midlands.  This includes groundworkers, bricklayers, scaffolders and roofers, as well as people for technical roles like surveying and engineering.

“Our workshop was designed to bring to life the teamworking that takes place onsite, the care and attention required when using tools and laying bricks and, most importantly, that a job isn’t finished until the tidying up is done.

“This was an excellent way for us to open students’ eyes to construction site-based roles they may not be aware of, how they can start out in a particular trade while training and gaining qualifications along the way.

“The students showed a real interest in the work, asking lots of questions about groundworks apprenticeships, so hopefully this is a career path some of them will purse in future.”