A primary school class has been shown the skills of construction in a hands-on learning session, thanks to a joint initiative by Barratt Homes East Scotland and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), designed to raise awareness of the range of careers within the industry.
25 pupils from Kirkliston Primary School participated in the activities, which included learning skills about building management and construction before working together and putting their new knowledge to the test by building their own giant tetrahedron.
The classroom activity will be followed by a visit to Barratt Homes’ local development, The Elms, where pupils will see first-hand the skills they have learnt in action. They will also see the finished product by taking a tour of the development’s show home.
Chris Mullen, assistant site manager at Barratt Homes East Scotland, said, “The construction sector is a thriving industry in Scotland, and we’re keen to encourage people of all ages to consider a career in the industry. Thanks to our partnership with the CITB, we’ve been able to introduce pupils at Kirkliston Primary School to the world of construction from a young age and at our follow up visit to our development in Kirkliston they will also learn about the importance of safety on and around construction sites.”
Sharon Edgar, construction careers advisor at CITB, added, “The construction industry has a wide range of careers, and by sharing our information with the P7s it will help them when it comes to making key decisions about their future in just a few years’ time. The activity allowed the pupils an opportunity to develop four capacities of the ‘curriculum for excellence’ which brings school subjects into a real live situation. By visiting Barratt Homes’ The Elms development, they’ll also be able to cement the skills they’ve learned by seeing them in practice and viewing the finished product.”
