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Introduction - Adopt a School

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In late 2014 the UK construction industry was in its third year of growth and the only thing preventing it from accelerating that growth was a lack of people.

In particular there was a lack of young people coming into the industry and this was put down mainly to the poor image of the sector.

In November 2014 the then Government Chief Construction Adviser, Peter Hansford, visited the South West and whilst there launched an ‘Adopt a School’ campaign whereby he asked construction related companies to ‘buddy up’ with their local schools to raise the profile of construction as a career choice with young people and improve its image at the same time.

Constructing Excellence South West who was asked to run with it.

CESW were aware that there were other outstanding projects in existence such as Class of Your Own but wanted to create a way for schools and companies to buddy up on an ad hoc basis with no fee to participate.

The campaign was coordinated by Emma Hannam – Adopt a School Coordinator emma.hannam@cesw.org.uk

The Mission

The CESW Adopt a School Campaign was sponsored by the Southern Construction Framework

  • We worked with the CITB to create more Construction Ambassadors within each of the clubs in the South West region
  • We linked up schools and construction businesses in ongoing partnerships.
  • Each partnership was expected to create a menu of school based activities, for example: a Construction related Career’s Fair, Site visits, Visit to design offices and working with Careers Advisers to remove the stereotypical negative perception of Construction as a career path.

In The Beginning

In Sept 2015 the very first schools to join the Adopt a School Campaign were Plymouth School of Creative Arts who buddied up with Kier Construction and St Ives School who buddied with PBWC Architects. Both of these partnership were launched with a concert by Tom Carpenter (The Voice) In the case of St Ives School, Tom’s concert raised money to fund a student visit to the Eden Project.

This is just one of the creative ways that Partnerships chose to launch their ongoing relationship, Adopt a School supported schools and companies to find their own way of working together in a way that worked best for all.

Tom Carpenter (The Voice) with students

Partnerships

Many more schools and businesses  joined the Adopt a School campaign over the next 4 years and ran a variety of activities which promoted construction industry careers to young people all over the South West.

The following is a list of participants that took part in the Adopt a School campaign.

CORNWALL

Gilbert & Goode – Brannel School, St Austell

Midas – Pool Academy

CIOB – liskeard School

CIOB – Penair School

Acorn Blue – Redruth School

PBWC Architects – St Ives School

Kier – Newquay Tretherras

DEVON & EXETER

LHC Architecture – Kingsbridge and South Devon College

Tony Thurgood – Petroc College, Tiverton

Exeter & Plymouth Club – Atrium Studio School, Ashburton

Kier and Arcadis – Isca Academy, Exeter

Gilpin Demolition – Newton Abbot College

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Robert Limbrick Architects – Severn Vale School

Robert Limbrick Architects – Cleeve School

SK Bell Group – Forest High School

Glous Club – Gloucestershire College

SOMERSET

Halsall – Writhlington School

NVB Architects – Frome College

Somerset Club – Holyrood Academy, Chard

Somerset Club – Huish Episcopi Academy, Langport

BATH

Curo – Ralph Allen School

BRISTOL

Campbell Reith – IKB Studio

Women in Property – Yate International Academy

Kier – John Cabot School

Wilmott Dixon – Sir Bernard Lovell Academy

Sir Robert McAlpine – Patchway Community College

ISG – Bailey Court Primary School

PLYMOUTH

Kier – Plymouth School for Creative Arts

Plymouth Construction Training Group – Mount Tamar School

Building Plymouth – Heles School

Building Plymouth – Eggbuckland

Building Plymouth – Coombe Dean

Building Plymouth – Devonport High School for Boys

South West Highways – Sir John Hunt

South West Highways – St Boniface

South West Highways – Eggbuckland

South West Highways – Stoke Damerel

DORSET

Wates – St Peters School

Morgan Sindall – Twynham Learning Academy

Morgan Sindall – The Grange Shool

Greendale – St Aldelm’s Academy

SWINDON & WILTS

Beard – Dorcan Technical College

View Clubs

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