Construction students get to see housebuilding first hand
Construction students were given the opportunity to learn more about a live building site.
The site tour for year 12 students from Madeley Academy in Telford was conducted after Jessup invited students to its Woodlands development at Lightmoor Way.
The visit was intended to help students understand different aspects of the site, both practically and theoretically, after Jessup recently delivered talks at the school.
The visit was one of three scheduled with students from The Madeley Academy, whose year 13 Construction students also toured The Woodlands site recently, with year 11 likely to visit in the near future.
The year 12 students, whose career goals ranged from architecture, to site management, to being skilled operatives, were told about commencing construction and the ecological surveys that need to be conducted, how to protect the public during construction, and the required qualifications to work on a building site, among other important topics.
They were shown buildings at different phases of development, with some being under construction, some built up to roof, and others nearing completion. They were also given access to see buildings’ foundations, drainage pipes and footings.
Amongst the most important topics in the talk was safety on site, and the importance of risk assessment at the very start, clear signage for site staff and the public, and understanding up to date legislation, was emphasised for working on and/or planning a construction site.
Leading the site tour was Michael Pickston, Apprentice Manager for Jessup Partnerships, who said: “All the students reacted positively to both the tour and the talk, being interested and engaged throughout. There were a lot of students there with interests in different types of construction, so to see them all actively involved and asking important questions was brilliant.
“It’s clear to me that they left after having a greater understanding of construction and everything that goes on at a site than they did beforehand.”
Construction Teacher at The Madeley Academy, Paul Dew, said, “I thought the site visit and talk was most informative, as it allowed students to visualise various procedures on site and add to their knowledge base. They got to observe developments in all different stages of build, and seeing lots of different materials helped provide some perspective.
“In education, construction is often overlooked, so for Jessup to offer our students the access to The Woodlands site, it showed them that their career aspirations and educational needs can be catered for. The section on site safety was superb. We were very grateful and would love to visit again with other groups."
