St John's Primary pupils are building fun times

IT COULD be described as building for the future, but for 150 Edinburgh school pupils it was all about the fun.
project: Apprentice site manager Greg Wilkinson gives eight-year-old pupils Leandro Forno and Ria Kaur an insight into his workproject: Apprentice site manager Greg Wilkinson gives eight-year-old pupils Leandro Forno and Ria Kaur an insight into his work
project: Apprentice site manager Greg Wilkinson gives eight-year-old pupils Leandro Forno and Ria Kaur an insight into his work

GRAHAM Construction teamed up with St John’s Primary School as part of their efforts to encourage more children to consider the industry as a future career option.

More than 150 P5 to P7 pupils, attended the event, which took place as part of the recent Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

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The My World of Work event was made up of workshops and activities designed to teach the students about the various roles in construction.

Their team was made up of an apprentice engineer, a planner, a quantity surveyor and a community benefits advisor – each giving the students an overview of their role and outlining the importance of these positions when building a school.

The pupils, in groups of 12, made their way through each activity, working closely with the GRAHAM employees, asking questions about the industry along the way.

The new two-storey St John’s Primary School is being built on the site of the former Portobello High School in Edinburgh, and will provide accommodation for 15 purpose-built classrooms, a general purpose classroom, social space and excellent sporting facilities.

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The £10 million project, which started in June 2017, is planned to complete this summer.

Gary Holmes, regional managing director at GRAHAM Construction said: “It’s important that we work with our local schools and colleges to highlight the great opportunities that are available within the construction industry and the number of different job roles that are needed throughout a project.

“Apprenticeships are a vital part of growing our workforce and building a team with great skills and experience. Scottish Apprenticeship Week gives us the chance to celebrate the past and existing young people at GRAHAM Construction that continue to develop and work their way through the company, while encouraging apprentices of the future to choose a career within the industry.”

GRAHAM is a member of the 5% Club, an organisation consisting of companies committed to ensuring that 5 per cent of their workforce over the next five years is comprised of young people on structured learning schemes. GRAHAM employs more than 300 people in Scotland and has managed over 150 apprenticeships.

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Later in the month, the company will sponsor Waid Academy in Fife, to take part in the Go4Set project, a scheme that aims to inspire secondary school pupils to pursue vital careers in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

As part of this challenge, a team of pupils will work together to design a model for a sustainability project. The students will also visit the University of St. Andrews.