ABOUT THE CASE STUDY
Westfield Primary School in Radstock reached out to us to take part in their Fantastic Futures week as a representative for the construction industry to demonstrate the various different career paths within the field.
Alongside other businesses, we provide 1 hour sessions to years 2,3,4,and 5. It was amazing to see how engaged and inquisitive the young student were about careers and we had some great feedback and quizzing questions.
Objectives
- Encourage students to start thinking about the many different options and opportunities within the construction industry
- Steer students away from the stereotypes that surround the industry – That the whole of the construction industry is builders and electricians, as well as the stereotype that it is only for boys.
Contributors
Alongside the other businesses that took part in the Fantastic Futures week we delivered sessions that highlighted what construction is, different job roles, how it works – in a simplified step by step and a fun and creative building activity.
Straws and connectors activity
Most of the session consisted of a hands on activity with the students, where they were given a box and straws of connectors and asked to build something in groups. In order to do this they had to come up with a brief plan and design that they would then go to execute and give a short presentation on what they had built.
We slightly altered the activity to accommodate the different year groups. Years 2 and 3 were simply asked to build a building that stands freely on its
own and at least 2 stories high. The students responded amazingly to this and created some very innovative and challenging structures.
For years 4 and 5, the students were asked to build a bride across the gaps between tables that was strong enough to sustain the weight of a dictionary. It was great to see how the students overcame problems and find solutions while working together as a team.
Challenge & outcomes
This activity was designed to not only teach and inform students on jobs in construction but also to help them develop the skills they need to not only work in the industry but skills they will also use in day to day life.
Team work – the students worked in groups of 3 or 4 to complete the activity.
Communication – as they worked in groups, in order to plan and design they all had to talk to each other in an organised manner to get the job done.
Problem solving – when building their structures, they often ran into problems with keeping the building stable and had to try to overcome this issue by trialling different support systems.
Conclusion
In conclusion we had a great experience at Westfield Primary school and it was inspiring to get to see the students involved in learning about careers from such a young age at their Fantastic Futures week.
We are very grateful to be involved in this along side so many other great businesses, making a difference in young peoples lives.