B&E Boys were delighted to participate in a Careers Convention that was held on 30 January at Thorn Primary School, Bacup. Looking to build on the success of a previous event, the careers day sought to raise awareness amongst the pupils of the various job opportunities that are available within the local community and beyond. Such events are always a fantastic opportunity for children to develop aspirations and think about their long term future.
A wide range of organisations took part at the event, including Accrington and Rossendale College Catering Department, the Fire Service, a hairdressers, and staff from a local gym.
It was an action-packed day. With 12 groups of 6 children, it meant that we had only around 5 minutes with each group. The children came armed with clipboards and a sheet of questions. We were asked whether we liked working in construction, how long we had worked in the industry, and what we build. We were also asked about what salaries can be earned in construction. It was interesting to note that most of the children had heard of the company.
The next part of the session was a quick quiz. Children were given different materials that are used to build a house and they had to guess what they were. The materials were a piece of guttering, slate, a wall tie, a small bag of sand, and a piece of insulation. The quiz proved to be great fun.
Next was a practical activity. An arch was built using traditional formwork. Each child was given a piece of masonry to form the arch. With the key stone in place, the formwork was removed to form an arch. We then pulled the key stone out and the whole thing collapsed – showing just how important the key stone is.
The pupils at the school thoroughly enjoyed the event, especially the interaction and participation. Due to its great success, Thorn Primary School have already decided to run another event next year. B&E Boys would be happy to take part again. Any event that gets children thinking about their future careers is one that we want to be involved in