B & E Boys Contracts Manager, Mike Carney, recently visited Cedars Primary School to give a careers talk to Year 6 pupils.
Boys are currently engaged on a large-scale six month contract at Cedars as it makes the transition to become a single-site school. An existing school block has been demolished to make way for a new steel-framed, traditionally clad two-storey teaching block. The new facilities are on course to be completed in time for the start of the new academic year in September 2017.
The new block will ensure that pupils can be taught in an excellent learning environment and this, of course, is very important. Our children are the future of our local communities and this is why we were delighted to be asked to talk to the pupils of Cedar Primary School about their future careers.
It was impressive to see that the pupils in class 6RP had taken the time, on the day of their final SATs test, to produce a set of questions to put to Mike Carney in advance of his visit to the school. This really speaks volumes about the children in the class.
Mike took props with him into the school to hook the children and help engage them with the topic of construction. The class teacher, Rubina Pathan, commented on how pleasing it was to see Mike explain how Mathematics is important in construction. Teachers are always at pains to tell pupils that the Maths they learn in class will come in use in their future lives – but many are not always convinced! It was nice to be able to highlight the relevance of what they learn in the classroom to real working life.
Mike Carney received a wonderful email of thanks from the children of 6RP shortly after the visit. It seems that the careers talk might have inspired a future generation of construction workers, with two thirds of the class saying would now be interested in a career within the construction industry following the talk.
Mike took the opportunity during the talk to dispel the myth that construction is only for the boys as well. It seemed to work, as over half the pupils who said they would now be interested in working within the industry were girls!
It was fantastic to hear that the talk had inspired the children to think hard about their career choices and to broaden their horizons. Mike Carney also explained the importance of family, having good role models and staying motivated in order to be successful – and the need to be busy in your spare time too!