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