Constructing career path to address the skills gap

Some of the pupils experimenting with surveying equipment.

HOBSON & Porter has delivered a series of classroom workshops aimed at educating and inspiring primary school girls to pursue careers in the manufacturing and engineering industries.

The workshops took place at Bricknell Primary School and were delivered to pupils from Bricknell, Appleton, Francis Askew, Paisley and Victoria Dock primary schools, which all form the Constellation Trust. The year 4 pupils experienced a demonstration of the way maths is used in construction and engineering and gave them the opportunity to get to grips with measuring equipment, including metre sticks and a Leica Total Station.

The workshops were held as part of the Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME) initiative led by Green Port Hull and supported by Siemens Gamesa, Airco, Jobcentre Plus and others to encourage women to choose construction as a career path. The sessions also form part of Hobson & Porter’s Foundations initiative, which aims to teach people of all ages about construction to increase awareness of routes into the industry.

Hobson & Porter’s team demonstrated a variety of maths applications, including linear measurements, measurements of angles, the practical application of co-ordinates and accuracy and tolerances. Pupils were encouraged to join in and experience the techniques hands-on.

Pauline Steele, Employment and Skills Co-ordinator for Hobson & Porter said: “There is a skills gap in the construction industry and women are also under-represented in the varied and interesting roles that are available right across manufacturing and engineering. There are a high number of vacancies, the career development opportunities are exceptional, and wage prospects are really good. We want to inspire girls and make them aware of the career options that are available to them in our industry.

“We feel that encouraging women into the industry is a highly valuable initiative and we have a lot to contribute. We have to start with students when they are young so that they are fully aware of where the future could take them, to provide the focus required to make the right choices when in education and give them the information now so that they can consider their career, training and education options after school. We want to increase the level of applications from females now and in the future and for women of all ages to realise that working in our industry is an appealing option for them.”

There is a growing demand in Hull and the Humber for those with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) qualifications, driven by a number of rapid developments and large-scale investment in industry. Routes to industry-recognised qualifications vary from apprenticeships, distance learning to University.

Kirsty Wilkinson, from Bricknell Primary School, part of the Constellation Trust, said: “One of our trust aims is to enthuse girls with science and STEM subjects, stimulating their learning and encouraging them to pursue these subjects as viable career options.

“The workshops held by Hobson & Porter have been really well received, many of the girls commented on how they found the sessions interesting and insightful and particularly enjoyed learning how to use the theodolite and other measuring equipment.”

The Foundations Initiative aims to get students taking an interest in the construction industry and show how their existing skills can be put to good use and applied to the industry when they enter the job market. Foundations Live, the interactive construction careers event for people of all ages, will be returning to Bishop Burton College in October 2018.