A top team from major employer Tarmac has been enthusing Nottinghamshire students about a future career in the world of construction materials. Barnstone Cement Plant’s Environmental Coordinator, Josie Morrissey and Project Engineer, Steve Pattison were among many other potential employers taking part in the annual Careers and Networking Fair at Toot Hill School and College in Bingham.
Josie and Steve took the opportunity to showcase the important role played by construction materials and their UK-based manufacturers, and how Tarmac offers a wide variety of career opportunities both locally and further afield. Students in Years 11-13 heard how Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects can be important, but they also heard how industrial companies like Tarmac also offers other career avenues such as marketing, human resources and sales.
Josie comments: “We are always on the lookout for new talent in Tarmac, so this event was a good opportunity for us to speak to students and parents directly. The construction sector hasn’t always been top of the list of industries which young people consider, but we are working hard to change that and show how we offer wide-ranging and rewarding job opportunities. Steve and I have both been through the modern apprenticeship route and have caved successful careers within Tarmac”
A recent survey by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) found that one in four young people (28%) have given construction careers the thumbs up by awarding the sector top marks for attractiveness. This figure has more than doubled from 13% in 2016, and is a very welcome and significant rise from just 3% in 2015. *
The event at Toot Hill School and College was supported by over 70 employers and further education establishments. It aims to offer students an opportunity to network with a range of people, to explore and research a suitable career pathway for their individual needs, enabling them to make an informed decision.
Head of Careers at the School, Fiona Farmer adds: “This is a great opportunity for students and their parents to explore a variety of career pathways for both Post 16 and Post 18 education and training. We had really good support during the evening with approximately 170 students and their parents attending. It was good to see young people engaging and networking with a range of organisations. We are extremely grateful to Tarmac for their support and all the providers who give their time to inspire and inform young people.”
*Changing Perceptions: the growing appeal of a career in construction, is based on a survey of 1,000 young people, 500 parents and 800 guidance career professionals. This year’s findings show an improvement in the perception of construction careers among all of the groups surveyed. But results also show that a limited knowledge of the sector among guidance professionals persists along with a tendency to encourage lesser qualified people into the sector.
Encouraging statistics show that young people’s knowledge of the industry has increased and they have a greater awareness of the breadth of roles in the sector. They are also more likely to see a construction career as well paid and an increasing number agree that the sector offers as many jobs for women as men. To add to this, both construction and civil engineering were placed in the top 10 (seventh and eighth, respectively) from a list of 29 potential career paths which young people were asked to consider.
https://www.citb.co.uk/news-events/uk/2017/construction-careers-more-attractive/
Photo caption:Tarmac’s Steve Pattison chats about careers in the construction materials industry with a Toot Hill School and College student at their recent careers fair.