construction industry council employer’s toolkit · school or ebp about your audience before the...

CIC Employers Toolkit ©Construction Industry Council. First published 2010

Construction Industry Council

Employer’s Toolkit Tips for built environment employers wishing to work with

schools, colleges and young people

January 2011

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CIC Employer’s Toolkit ©Construction Industry Council. First published 2010

CIC represents the views of the higher level of the industry (professional, managerial and technical) in ConstructionSkills – the Sector Skills Council for construction. ConstructionSkills is a partnership between CIC, CITB‐ConstructionSkills and CITB ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland. This toolkit has been developed to provide practical help to employers who wish to broker new working relationships and deliver educational outreach and career opportunities to young people.

CIC would like to thank the many schools, colleges, teaching staff, Education Business Partnerships, professional institutions, companies and individuals who have shown such massive support for our projects.

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Contents 1. Introduction

1.1 The Benefits

1.2 Strategy

2. Getting Started

2.1 Working with schools or colleges

2.2 Programming

2.3 Presenting to young people

3. Activities

3.1 Ideas and suggestions

3.2 Planning an Activity

3.3 Language and tone

3.4 Example activities

3.5 A recipe for success

4. Case Studies

4.1 Case Study ‐ the CIC Coaching Scheme

4.2 Case Study ‐ the Future Professionals Programme

5. Health and safety for young people

6. Learning outside of the classroom

6.1 Site visits

7. Working with your employees

8. Measuring success

Appendix A Example icebreaker activity

Appendix B Example site visit itinerary

Appendix C Work placement guidelines

Appendix D Educational key stages

Appendix E National curriculum

Appendix F Further information and helpful websites

Appendix G Progression tables for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern

Ireland

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The Construction Industry Council (CIC, one of the 3 partners in

ConstructionSkills) along with Professional Institutions and employers have

been working hard to create, implement and deliver community enhancing

projects specifically developed with young people in mind.

CIC’s projects were set up in response to an ongoing shortage of young people

choosing to enter the construction and built environment sector and to ensure

opportunities to contribute to the industry were available to all . Despite some

excellent work, the following extracts highlight some of the challenges to our

industry in terms of attracting and retaining talent.

1. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) skills survey (2010) notes that

“the construction industry continues to suffer from a skills shortage, despite an

overall decrease in construction demand in 2009 by 11.5%.”

2. CIC’s Diversity Report (May 2009) states “Women constitute 51% of the UK

general population and just under 46% of the total workforce but only 13.5% of

the construction industry workforce.”…”Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME)

groups constitute 10.9% of total population, 5% of the total workforce and only

2% the construction industry workforce.”

3. Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the

Professions Report July 2009 states “The Panel believes the balance of evidence

suggests that social mobility has neither risen nor fallen in recent decades, but

that social mobility in the UK is generally lower than in many other countries.”

1 Introduction

Eastlea Community School students with their

CIC/ ConstructionSkills awards for achievement

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4. Another key issue outlined in the Department for Innovation Universities &

Skills report “Demographic change and its impact on the higher education sector

in England”, is the forthcoming reduction in the number of young people available

“…in particular, the number of 18‐20 year olds who make up over 70% of

entrants to full‐time undergraduate programmes which, is projected to fall from

2009 – 2019 before rising again to 2027.

These reports highlight the following challenges our industry faces including:

Skills shortages

Low levels of social mobility (progression to professional status)

Low levels of gender and ethnic diversity

A smaller pool of young people to enter study and employment

In addition to this we also face a low level of uptake of Science, Technology,

Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects amongst young people and an industry

with a poor external image.

Students from Globe Academy in the London

Borough of Southwark present their design

ideas to their peers

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1.1 Benefits While there is some fantastic support in the form of educational and community

outreach being offered all over the UK, we at CIC, are keen to continue and

expand the good work and encourage enterprises of all sizes to get involved in

developing professional, managerial and technician career opportunities.

There are a rich and diverse array of projects which you could support from

STEMNET Ambassadors (visit www.stemnet.org.uk) to Planning Aid ( visit

www.rtpi.org.uk/planningaid/ for further information). Alternatively, you may

wish to create new links and opportunities with schools and colleges local to

your projects or workplace. This document has been developed to support and

guide companies who are new to educational outreach or developing their

Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.

There are a number of benefits to getting involved in education outreach

projects such as to:

Develop and embed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies

within your organisation.

Engage with your local community. This will in turn help to improve the

public’s perception of the construction industry.

Improve job satisfaction for your employees.

Assist your staff in achieving their professional status

Help your staff develop their ‘soft’ skills through interacting with young

people

Raise your organisation’s profile with clients

Develop future talent

Provide students with role models to whom they can aspire.

Provide opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom

Develop the confidence, teamwork and leadership skills in the next

generation

Develop long lasting relationships with the next generation

Students from Globe Academy celebrate their achievements

One of the issues facing the industry is it’s sometimes poor perception, Engaging with your local community will in turn help to improve the public’s view of the industry and encourage the next generation to get involved.

http://www.rtpi.org.uk/planningaid/

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KEY LOW MEDIUM HIGH

TIME

COMMITMENT

Low – one off activity

STYLE / INTENSITY Low – dissemination via websites

Medium – 1 to 2 hours commitment a month

High – more than 3 hours commitment a month

Medium – face to face meetings and e‐mentoring

High – regular coaching , face to face or site visits

As an employer your community engagement strategy will be defined by the

aspirations of your organisation. When deciding what kind of outreach work you

would like to get involved in, you should consider two key questions:

Time commitment– how much time /resource can be dedicated to your

outreach work?

Style – what type of outreach activity would you like to get involved in?

1.2 Strategy

Students from Trinity School are challenged to build a tower from spaghetti and

marshmallows

HIGH HIGH

HIGH HIGH

LOW MEDIUM

HIGH MEDIUM

LOW LOW

MEDIUM LOW

LOW LOW

LOW MEDIUM

Extra‐curricular activities for e.g. an after

school club

Face to face mentoring

E‐mentoring (mentoring via email)

Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)

events

Work experience

Careers talks

Enterprise days

Interview practice

Activity TIME COMMITMENT STYLE/ INTENSITY

The key above has been developed to aid your strategy development; each

activity noted later in the toolkit this will be colour coded.

Below are a range of activities that could be adapted for your own outreach

activity.

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Tips for Engaging Young People When establishing any kind of outreach programme, the teachers will have the advantage of knowing the students so will be able to suggest which age group/ key stage to work with.

A good starting point in terms of publicising your programme or giving a careers presentation to young people, is to hold an assembly to your target year group/s with the help of the school. Try and get sufficient information from the school or EBP about your audience before the introductory session so you are fully prepared in advance.

2.1 Working with schools and colleges

If you are not sure which school or college to approach you could start by

contacting your local Education Business Partnership (EBP). They already have

strong links with the educational establishments in their area and will be able to

match you with one that fits your aspirations. They are also aware of which

schools and colleges are teaching relevant qualifications such as the Engineering

and Construction and Built Environment Diplomas or have specialised status.

Schools and Further Education Colleges are being encouraged to work more

closely with the business community and do get offered a range of schemes and

initiatives, so it’s important to set up an initial meeting with key personnel such

as the senior management team the department head, or a subject specific

teacher, to discuss your proposal and what the mutual benefits of working with

your organisation will be.

2.2 Programming

You will need to establish a mutually convenient time to run the programme. Be

prepared to be flexible as situations within the school can change rapidly. The

CIC Coaching Scheme (see section 4.1 for a case study) was generally run as an

after‐school club but could be easily adapted to be run during lesson time.

It is important to establish when in the academic year you and/or the school

want to run such a programme. Periods to avoid tend to be early September at

the start of term, and exam periods. It is worth checking the school or college

website for important dates in their calendar. Every institution will programme

exams to suit them and national requirements so always check with school or

college in question.

2 Getting started

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2.3 Presenting to Young People

The simplest form of engagement is a careers talk or presentation. This could be

in the form of an assembly or select year group talk. Here are a few points to

consider when structuring and running the presentation:

Keep them short and concise – our evaluation data rates ‘long’

presentations (more than 10 minutes) as the least enjoyed aspect for most

students

Images not words – It’s easier to forget that your audience may not be

familiar with professional terms or jargon. Imagine that you are trying to

explain a term or process to someone who has never experienced it and has

limited understanding of the language.

Gauge the level of knowledge beforehand so you can pitch your

presentation correctly.

Provide an overview of the construction industry e.g. Types of people who

work in the industry, what kinds of buildings or structures have been built

or going to be built.

Provide cultural references – show images of structures/ projects that are

local to the school and students or internationally recognised ones that

evoke discussion.

Ask questions throughout the presentation. This will help to make the

presentation interactive and engaging while also allowing the students to be

part of it.

Give some indication of what will be happening in the programme, but

don’t give too much away as this will help to keep them intrigued.

The slides shown below were developed for a presentation for students aged 14‐15. The

use of iconic buildings and cultural references worked excellently with the pupils giving them

the opportunity to get involved with the presentation by trying to guess the film titles

From slides created by Kathryn Phillips of Jestico and Whiles Architects

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3 Activities 3.1 Ideas and Suggestions

The outreach projects developed by CIC were designed to give students a

chance to meet and work with a pan‐professional team of practitioners from

industry. This was achieved via workshops, face to face meetings, email and

project visits. Our innovative projects gave young people a better understanding

of the tasks and activities involved in designing, planning and constructing a

building as well as an opportunity to experience unique buildings and sites.

All of our schemes focussed on pupils in Key Stages 3 ‐ 4 and aimed to raise

their awareness of the varied professions and progression pathways in the

industry, before choosing their options for school or further education courses.

For more information on Educational Key Stages see Appendix D, page 30.

3.2 Planning an Activity

When considering what type of activity you want to run give some thought to

the following points:

Hands‐on activities work extremely well and are excellent for engaging

young people . Comments from past programmes express an enjoyment

and better understanding of the subject through interactive activities.

Try where possible to link activities to topical issues, for example

sustainable materials or issues around climate change – this can also help

to link the activity to other parts of the curriculum.

If your activity is careers focussed decide if you want to concentrate on a

number of disciplines or just one specific one – this will obviously have an

effect on your chosen activity. If you focus on one discipline it will be

helpful to place it in the wider sector context.

To make your activity appealing for a diverse audience, it’s important to

consider what might appeal to both female and male students as well as

considering cultural references. For example, try and ensure there is a

balanced gender and Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation

in any images or examples that you use.

Pupils from Eastlea and Royal Docks Community School’s enjoy a visit to the viewing platform at 201 Broadgate in East London

Further activities Other example activities can be found via professional institution or employer websites under their education or careers section. E.g. The Institution of Civil Engineers has a student and young learners section which has information on careers in civil engineering, links to work experience and much more Visit : http://www.ice.org.uk/Education

http://www.ice.org.uk/Education




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3.3 Language and Approach

It is easy to assume that many students and teachers are aware or understand

the construction industry. Before preparing a presentation or activity it is

important to find out the level of understanding of your audience is prior the

event. Removing jargon and the many acronyms that you are familiar with will

help to break down any barriers and enable you to explain often complex ideas

to young people.

Non‐verbal communication plays a large role in the way you communicate with

others. Try and use as much eye contact as possible and do not be afraid of

asking questions throughout to make sure they have understood what you have

said. This will encourage the students to communicate with you and in turn will

improve their own Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS), which is part of

the National Curriculum and new Diploma qualifications.

Students from Chorlton and Loreto High Schools take a tour of the Hilton Hotel,

Deansgate, Manchester Europe’s tallest residential building.

Tip ‐ careers guidance Choosing a career or study path for a young person can be a daunting task for them. They may have many ideas about what they would like to do in the future and could be need of assistance with making the best choice for them. Any advice given on careers should be impartial and offer students the opportunity to make their own choices. For more information on built environment related careers visit www.bconstructive.co.uk

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3.4 Example Activities

There are large numbers of activities that could be described as outreach. You

might already have one in mind however; if you do not and need a starting point

we have included a couple of examples activities below:

Designing and constructing a space/ structure Ask students to design and or make a structure within their school site and ask them to choose the structure’s function. Encourage them to consider as many real life priorities as possible:

accessibility

functionality

sustainability

cost

replication/ manufacture

This type of activity gives the students an opportunity to be creative, ownership of their design while allowing their problem solving skills to be brought to the forefront of the activity. It covers a range of disciplines and stages in construction from conception right through to completion. Related Subjects:

English

Design and Technology

Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS)

Mathematics

Geography

History

ICT Spaghetti Towers A simple activity that can be run as part of a lesson or as a taster activity is the Spaghetti Tower Challenge. Students are challenged to create the tallest tower possible in a given time frame using only spaghetti and marshmallows. A detailed handout can be found in the Appendix A of this document. Variations on this could be done using other materials. Related Subjects:

English


PLTS Speed Networking This activity is designed to be a 15‐ 20 minute activity where students get to interview professionals for 1‐2 minutes and professionals interview students. This is another simple icebreaker activity that can be used to break down the barriers of meeting new people for the first time, whilst encouraging young people to interact and communicate. Related Subjects:

English

PLTS

Time ‐ High

Style ‐ High

Time ‐ Low to Medium

Style ‐ Medium to High

A student from La Retriate RC School in London sits within their newspaper structure

Time ‐ Low to Medium

Style ‐ Medium to High

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3.5 A Recipe for Success

There have been certain factors that have played an important part in the success of running outreach programmes . The

following ten points highlight the areas that we feel have contributed to the success of a project.

1. Clear communication channels ‐ these must be established between all stakeholders

2. Select a school or college that fits the culture and aspirations of your plan

3. Develop an adaptable programme

4. Include hands‐on activities with your programme

5. Contextualise activities – This sets the scene for students and allows them to take ownership of their work.

6. Ensure, where possible, that activities link to the curriculum

7. Try to have activities that are gender neutral – appeal to both male and female students

8. Take the learning outside the classroom

9. Make study and career progression information available (for Progression Tables see Appendix G, pages 33 & 34)

10. Have fun!

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In detail The CIC Coaching Scheme has been running for the past four years following a

pilot programme in Newham, east London in 2006.

The 2009‐10 programme expanded to include new schools and colleges in the

East Midlands, London and Greater Manchester, seeking to support students

with an interest in construction and the built environment.

This unique programme gave students a chance to meet and work with a pan‐

professional team of practitioners from the construction industry during a series

of workshops and a one day visit allowing students to experience innovative

buildings and sites.

The workshops were developed to give young people a better understanding of

the tasks and activities involved in designing, planning and constructing a

building. The workshops typically ran after school with students applying to take

part in the programme, but some were carried out during the school day.

Each workshop lasted around one and half hours and involved a combination of

presentations, hands‐on activities and model making.

In combination with these sessions, a site visit was organised to either an

exhibition, a live construction site or a finished building. This emphasized the

importance of taking the learning outside of the classroom and embedding

principals taught even further.

The scheme was concluded with a celebration event, held at the school, which

included presentations from the students and coaches plus awards and

certificates for all of the students who took part. Feedback from all participants

was gathered at the end of the scheme.

4.1 Case Study - the CIC Coaching Scheme

Time

commitment

High

Style intensity High

Globe Academy students show their pride in creating 2 scaled models of their ideas for a

new structure.

Student quote in response to “What activities have you enjoyed the most?” in the 2010 Coaching Scheme “Making buildings because we are having fun and learning”

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Lessons Learnt

Communication is key to the success of your outreach projects and

important between all stakeholders. Ensure all parties are aware of the

session dates and any actions that need to be done.

Agreeing the dates of the sessions with the school or college as early as

possible in the programme will help with the smooth running of the

scheme. Schools may have plays, other clubs and activities going on after

school so it is important to make sure there are no clashes with your

session.

Aiming the scheme at the right level – the chosen year group or group of

students is important for the success of the scheme. Advice can be sought

from the teachers on this.

Reducing the amount of time and effort the teacher has to prepare before

the session is important. Teachers have very busy schedules and so it’s

important to agree everyone’s responsibilities beforehand. In promoting

the event and reminding the students, the teacher is the key link.

A mixture of activity approaches is vital to demonstrate all aspects of

learning.

When considering how your programme will be structured you might want to

think about some of the following points:

What activity are you going to run – how does it relate to the curriculum?

How large is your audience? – To ensure students are getting one to one

assistance have one adult for every five pupils.

Length of programme – is it a one‐off session or a few sessions spread over

a number of weeks/ months?

What material resources are required? – This depends on your chosen

activity

What are the associated costs?

It is important to try and make the programme as realistic as possible,

allowing the students to make the relevant connections to what they are

doing.

If, as an employer, you decide to offer a business to student coaching scheme

expect to:

Advise employees via handbook and training on child protection issues

Spend time selecting a suitable school / college or university

Spend time creating and agreeing a theme, timetable, roles and

responsibilities for all key stakeholders

Set aside 1hr completing the CRB check form for all employees (see section 7

of this Toolkit)

Set aside 1‐2hrs per month or every other week for face to face after‐school

sessions (dependent of strategy adopted)

“I thought it was a great project especially the practical work” Quote from student on 2009‐10 Coaching Scheme

Students from St Saviours and St Olaves School in London Borough of Southwark final

presentation at the end of year celebration

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In detail

In 2008, CIC piloted a mentoring scheme called the Future Professionals

Programme with schools and colleges in the London Borough of Newham and

was specifically developed to encourage and inspire students on the 14‐19

Construction Built Environment and Engineering Diplomas, see Appendix F ,

page 32 for further information.

This programme was developed and managed in partnership with Newham

Education Business Partnership and Newham’s 14‐19 team. Students were

asked to complete an application form stating their study and career aspirations.

A pan professional group of volunteer mentors were recruited reflecting the

future career preferences of the students.

Students and volunteers attended an induction and launch event where the

project expectations were reiterated and they were also given career packs

(CIC’s A Professional Career in the Built Environment, for a PDF version visit

www.cic.org.uk/activities/CIC_AProfessionalCareer_BuiltEnvironment.pdf)

noting a variety of opportunities available in Engineering and the Built

Environment.

A mix of face‐to‐face meetings and e‐mentoring was offered to give both

students and volunteers the maximum flexibility in terms of participating in the

project with participants deciding on mutually convenient times and venues to

meet.

At the end of the academic year mentors and mentees who had completed a

year on the scheme were presented with certificates marking their achievement.

Feedback was sought during and on completion of the project from volunteers

and stakeholders.

The time commitment will vary, depending on how the programme is facilitated,

but typically, due to the intensive nature of this support, expect a medium to

high level of commitment from all participants. Many schools and colleges

would like mentors to continue working with students for a minimum of one

academic year.

A definition Mentoring is an intentional relationship between people, committed to their personal growth and development and one which provides mutual growth

Time

commitment

Medium to High

Style intensity Medium to High

4.2 Case Study - the Future Professionals Programme

http://www.cic.org.uk/activities/CIC_AProfessionalCareer_BuiltEnvironment.pdf

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TIP In terms of best practice e‐mentoring should happen via a specialised service which can be monitored by a 3rd party.

Students from Trinity School , Nottingham hear directly from a practitioner about their

study and career path

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Lessons learned

The way in which the 14‐19 Diploma is delivered can have a major impact

on a programme. In the London Borough of Newham, the Construction and

Built Environment and Engineering Diplomas (see Appendix F for further

information) were delivered via three venues and students moved between

these venues as well as their home schools. This sometimes made

communication with tutors and students challenging.

The programme name was an important choice – many schools offer

mentoring programmes to students who are deemed to be struggling with

academic achievement, the scheme was therefore perceived by some

students to be unsuitable for them.

Mentoring for students over 16 offered the great opportunity to move

mentoring meetings to the employer’s offices. Offering convenience and

flexibility to employers and a chance for students to visit their mentees

workplace.

Measuring and recording impact needs to be in a 360 degree style with all

stakeholders feeding in their views. Much of the best feedback came from

tutors and teachers who noted a positive increase in student’s motivation,

understanding, maturity and focus compared to non‐participants.

Students from La Retraite RC School share their study and career aspirations with practitioners

from industry

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As an employer you may decide to offer this as a company specific project ‐ while

it would be a greater commitment for the company the advantages of this are

that:

Both the school and employer would benefit from a close working

relationship

Mentoring sessions could be timetabled at time at regularity which is

mutually convenient

Student preparation for meetings could be timetabled to ensure smooth

running student led meetings

If meeting sessions are at a regular place and time, child protection risks are

greatly reduced ‐ for example using a particular space at school where all

students and mentors meet

The mentoring theme could be mutually agreed – business, industry specific

or general support could be offered

If, as an employer, you decide to offer a mentoring scheme expect to:

Advise employees via handbook and training on child protection issues

Spend time selecting a suitable school / college or university

Spend time creating and agreeing a theme, timetable, roles and

responsibilities for all key stakeholders

Set aside 1hr completing the CRB check form for all employees (see section 7

for more information on Child Safeguarding and CRB checks).

Set aside 1‐5 hrs per month for face to face meetings and e‐mentoring

(dependent of strategy adopted)

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Your first time hosting a student site visit may seem a daunting task but if considered carefully and safely a successful visit

can be achieved. There are number of documents available online, which will provide additional guidance when

considering hosting a visit. For example the Health and Safety Executive website has lots of information under their

‘School Trips’ section: www.hse.gov.uk/schooltrips/

Ultimately, the students are the school’s responsibility; however risk assessments should be in place in order for the

school and the site to ensure that everyone is aware of the potential risks in advance. . Consideration needs to be given to

refreshments, access to facilities and security arrangements, if any, prior to any visit.

The Construction and Built Environment Diploma qualification combines essential skills in English, Maths and Information

Communication Technology (ICT) with practical skill development and theoretical and technical knowledge from the

construction and built environment sector. They have developed their own guidance on site visits for more information

follow this link: www.cbediploma.co.uk

H&S Checklist

Check with the school or college etc on their Child Protection Policy and process while planning the visit

Prepare a risk assessment for the activity

Ensure that Public Liability Insurance where necessary is current and up to date.

For general information on project safety visit the Association of Project Safety’s website www.aps.org.uk

5. Health & Safety for young visitors

http://www.hse.gov.uk/schooltrips/

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6. Learning outside of the classroom As an essential part of learning, every learner needs frequent, continuous and progressive learning outside the classroom

experiences. The CIC Coaching Scheme aimed to do this via visits to exciting building sites or completed buildings. It is

important to try and place the activities carried out in a classroom into context, one way of doing this is by meeting

people who work on site and seeing what they do in their day to day jobs.

6.1 Would you like to host site visits, but are not sure where to start?

Here are with some useful tips on how to plan a site visit for young people. The following are purely suggestions and

should read in conjunction with your own aims and site visits policies, if applicable.

A visit can take the form of a finished building, employer’s office, a construction site, or an exhibition.

A visit should have clear objectives, which should be set out and agreed with the teacher in advance.

The school might have its own risk assessment form, which they might ask you to input to with details about the site.

Alternatively, you might have one of your own that can easily be adapted for a school visit.

Anyone can go onto a site if the appropriate safety measures have been put in place to mitigate any hazards. Visit the

HSE website for further information about procedures and checks when organising a site visit www.hse.gov.uk/

schooltrips/.

Asking students to sketch or record elements of the day or providing them with a quiz that is related to the day will

help the students retain their work‐related learning.

Parental consent should be gained prior to the visit if students are 16 and under. This will ensure everyone is aware

of what is involved in the day. It is advisable to allow the school as much time as possible to organise this.

If you wish to write a press release to promote the day, you will need to gain permission to use the photos prior to

issuing any document with photos of students on. You can include this on the parental consent form to combine the

two. Photos are a useful way of documenting the day and also promoting your organisation’s commitment to the

next generation.

Try and limit your group size to 15‐20 and ensure there are sufficient adults present on the day (Ratio 1:8). Seek

advice from the schools or colleges and ask whether behavioural issues appear within the student group.

You should suggest appropriate clothing to teachers and students prior to the day. Some schools will have PPE

equipment available, however ask the question early on to ensure you and the students are covered.

A pre‐visit should be planned to assess the site and ensure the appropriate measures are in place beforehand. It is

always good to think of a Plan B just in case.

The summer months of the academic year are best time to host an outside visit; however this will depend on the

school and exam periods so agree this as early as you can.

An example itinerary can be found in Appendix B which has been included to help you plan the day.





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The strength and success of our outreach projects is closely linked with having

the support of committed professionals drawn from industry working with us.

Your employees could make excellent role models or ambassadors for our

industry. They are involved in different areas of project work and their expertise

and knowledge will provide a good grounding for any programme. Some might

already have had some involvement in other outreach schemes. You can draw

on their experiences for further information and guidance.

There are number of benefits to your organisation from being involved in an

outreach programme. As well as the benefits mentioned in section 1.1 further

benefits for staff are:

Improving your staff’s interpersonal and communication skills

Supporting your staff’s CPD, which might in turn help them progress

towards gaining professional status on a professional training schemes.

This will therefore increase the number of qualified professionals within

your organisation.

Recognising the need to engage and educate the next generation. This

promotes your organisation’s commitment to the profession and

highlights this to other organisations.

Recruiting the potential future workforce – maintaining good links with

local schools enables you to work with them and provide them with the

skills you require.

You could develop your own ‘Code of Conduct’ that you would be able to pass

onto your employees, stating the “do’s” and don’ts” when working with young

people, as well informing them of the time commitments involved. This could

include a section on what is expected from them and what they can get out of

the programme.

When working with young people, aged 16 and under, or vulnerable adults, it is

important to ensure that they and your staff are safeguarded and protected. It is

for this reason that Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks are undertaken. For

advice and guidance on CRB checks please contact your local EBP, or school with

whom you are working. It is best to begin the checking process as early on in

the programme as possible. Schools may ask for a CRB disclosure number

before allowing people to work with their students. Visit http://

www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/ for further information.

7. Working with your employees

Employers use drawings, animation and real life construction sites to demystify the process of design, managing and constructing the built

environment

http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/guidance/applicants_guidance.aspx




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Evaluating your programme gives you a useful insight into how it has worked

from the point of view of all stakeholders including teachers, students,

employees and EBPs. This will allow you to build and adapt the programme for

future interventions. If it is the first outreach programme that you have run you

are bound to experience positives and negatives from such a programme.

There are several ways in which you can capture this type of information:

Give out evaluation forms to all participants at the end of the session or

programme.

Hold a debriefing meeting with employees after the session or programme

and look at what they would change or do differently.

Hold a debriefing meeting with school staff to look at ways of refining and

developing your programme.

One way of measuring success might be by being asked to facilitate work

experience for the school or college’s students. Schools and colleges are always

looking for new organisations to help with their work – related learning activities.

This can be arranged either with the school or college directly or via the EBP with

whom you have worked.

We have developed some work placement guidelines that you may choose to

follow to ensure a successful placement for you and all involved, you can find this

in Appendix C of this document.

“Do you feel that your students have benefited from their involvement in coaching scheme?

Definitely – As well as enhanced knowledge in engineering (many of the students are studying for the 14‐19 Diploma in Engineering) there has been an improvement in the students’ self image as they begun to realise what they can achieve in the construction industry.” A teacher’s response to the 2010 CIC Coaching Scheme

8. Measuring Success

24


Type of Activity Icebreaker or as part of a lesson etc.

Key Stage 2+ upwards (see appendix D, page 30 for guidance on key stages)

Activity length 20 – 30 minutes but could be expanded to full lesson

Description To build the tallest tower in 20 minutes using only spaghetti and marshmallows in teams.

Resources Marshmallows, spaghetti and wet wipes

Curriculum links Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) as well as Functional skills in National Curriculum Design and Technology Designing and Making, 1.3 Creativity 3.0 Range and Content English Competence Creativity Critical understanding

Construction and Built Environment Diploma – Generic and Personal Learning Engineering Diploma – Generic and Personal Learning

Extension Activities

The activity could be extended so that the structure has to hold a specific weight or alternative construction materials could be used to compare different material strengths.

This activity aims to promote team working and develop communication skills.

Appendix A Example Activity

Supporting Information

Provide some basic information on structures at the start – the hints on the

handout will help to steer them in the right direction.

Provide further example photos of famous structures.

Discuss what they think makes a strong shape? – explore different shapes

for their structural strengths.

Consider assigning job roles in the team e.g. manager, designer and

construction workers to demonstrate the importance of teamwork and

replicating a real life scenario.

An incredibly popular challenge with students and adults, which could be adapted to include issues of cost, sustainability , planning ahead

and more

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26


Insert School Name

Insert Date of Visit

Insert start and likely finish time (also check in cases where students rely on a school bus system the best return

time for pupils)

Management team – Have a list all the adults (teaching staff, volunteers etc) who will present on the day and their

contact numbers in case of emergencies.

Site contacts ‐ Insert the names and contact details of any key site staff assigned to the visit (if you are visiting more

than one site this could be inserted into the itinerary for clarity).

Transport – Ensure you have the contact details of any transport you have arranged on the day.

Student numbers – Have a register of the students that can be checked throughout the day. Check every student has

parental consent and photo permission prior to the visit. Do advise the school/ college on particular types of

clothing appropriate for the visit. Also if your company is providing personal protective clothing PPE it’s also worth

checking shoe sizes etc.

The itinerary below outlines a plan for a day, issues for both the school or college as well as for an employer (highlighted

in bold)

Appendix B Example Site Visit Itinerary

Time Activity

9.30am School’s departure time

10.00am Arrive at 1st site visit location

It’s worth checking with the school on parking arrangements for large vehicles if applicable

Parking and safe transfer from the transport to the induction area is key. Is there somewhere

safe for children and adults to congregate? Will your party need to pass through a security

check before entering the compound or induction area?

11.00am‐12.15pm Presentation or tour around site?

Ensure that enough time is allowed for a H&S induction and for visitors to change into PPE,

use comfort facilities or get a drink.

12.30pm – 13.15pm Lunch

If your visitors are lunching on site note schools can provide packed lunches for students. Do

check with the school on this and if there are any dietary issues for staff or students.

14.00pm ‐14.45pm Arrive at 2nd site visit location?

14.45pm Presentation or tour around site?

15.00pm Depart to go back to the school

27


The positive impact of site visits cannot be underestimated. Site visits have been

consistently in the top 3 best events amongst student and adult participants in our schemes.

28


Appendix C Work Experience Guidance The following guidelines are designed to ensure you; your business and the learner have a stress free, worthwhile and

enjoyable placement.

FREE advice and support can be sought from your local Education Business Partnership (EBP).

NOTE: CRB checks on staff are not normally required – seek FREE advice from your local EBP.

PLACEMENT STAGES

EMPLOYER LEARNER

Pre ‐ placement Receive enquiry from school or offer

placement via on‐line EBP database.

Request a written application letter.

Hold a short interview‐(inform school and

ensure have colleague in room with you, if

necessary)

Nominate at least 1 designated mentor/

Supervisor.

Arrange H&S advisor (e.g. via EBP) to visit

and complete a risk assessment.

Draw up a timetable for placement with

designated staff.

Request an Induction Check list from EBP.

Make enquiry with employer.

Send application letter to employer.

Create Placement file/folder.

Attend interview.

Retain copy timetable in your Placement

file.

During placement Deliver Induction session (e.g. H&S,

premises tour, start/finish times, etc).

Build in review meetings with learner.

Ensure employer rep. is available during

school rep. visit to student.

Participate in and acknowledge

understanding of Induction session.

Complete workplace portfolio ( provided by

school)

Attend review meetings with employer and

school representatives.

Post ‐ placement Discuss with learner placement outcomes,

overall experience, etc.

Complete employer evaluation document

(provided by school/EBP)

Feedback results to staff.

Arrange another successful work

placement.

Discuss with employer the placement

outcomes, overall experience, etc.

29


Dispelling some of the myths.... FAQ’s

What if I am unclear on what my student should be doing?

Discuss any concerns with your local Education Business Partnership (EBP)

but ensure a plan of work is in place and is followed.

Could someone advise on whether we have any appropriate work

experience available?

Discuss details with your EBP to ensure both parties will get a positive

outcome.

The student has poor behaviour/attendance, who do I turn to?

Set ground rules from outset, but any difficulties should be reported to

the school representative.

What if we have H&S concerns due to the type of work being offered?

Common sense and risk assessment (RA) should be your benchmark,

always consult your EBP who will arrange a RA before a placement occurs.

Will I get a student who want to work in our industry?

Ensure at interview you are satisfied with the student`s interests and

attitude.

Students from Chorlton and Loreto High Schools gain a better understanding of the Media City project in Salford. A safe route with hard surfacing was created around the site for workers and became an excellent way to take visitors around this impressive site.

30


Appendix D Educational Key Stages The National Curriculum is organised into blocks of years called 'key stages'.

There are four key stages as well as an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

The EYFS covers education for children before they reach five (compulsory

school age).

The government website www.direct.gov.uk provides the table below showing

the relationship between age and key stage.

Age Year Key Stage (KS)

Assessment

3‐4 EYFS

4‐5 Reception EYFS

5‐6 Year 1 KS1

6‐7 Year 2 KS1 Teacher assessments in English, maths and science

7‐8 Year 3 KS2

8‐9 Year 4 KS2

9‐10 Year 5 KS2

10‐11 Year 6 KS2 National tests and teacher assessments in English, maths and science

11‐12 Year 7 KS3 Ongoing teacher assessments

12‐13 Year 8 KS3 Ongoing teacher assessments

13‐14 Year 9 KS3 Teacher assessments in English, maths and science and the other foundation subjects

14‐15 Year 10 KS4 Some children take GCSEs

15‐16 Year 11 KS4 Most children take GCSEs or other national qualifications

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The National Curriculum sets out the stages and core subjects that are taught to

all children aged five to 16 who go to 'maintained' or state schools. The National

Curriculum is applicable to all students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It

does not apply to Independent Schools who can set their own curriculum and

Scotland.

The National Curriculum ‐ what it sets out

The National Curriculum is a framework used by all maintained schools to ensure that teaching and learning is balanced and consistent.

It describes and sets out the following key areas:

the subjects taught

the knowledge, skills and understanding required in each subject

standards or attainment targets in each subject ‐ teachers can use these to measure a child's progress and plan the next steps in their learning

how a child’s progress is assessed and reported

For further advice and guidance on the National Curriculum visit the following

website http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/

The framework of the National Curriculum allows schools to freely plan and

organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of their

pupils.

Many schools use the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency

(QCDA) Schemes of Work to plan their curriculum. These help to translate the

National Curriculum’s objectives into teaching and learning activities.

For further information, advice and guidance visit the National Curriculum’s

website http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/ or the Directgov website

www.direct.gov.uk.

The 14‐19 Diplomas

The Diploma qualification offers 14 to 19 year olds practical, hands‐on

experience with a strong academic emphasis. It’s designed to help young people

develop the knowledge and skills employers and universities want. Diplomas in

fourteen subject areas are currently available in selected schools and colleges.

The new diplomas that are applicable to the built environment are the

Construction and Built Environment Diploma (CBE) and the Engineering Diploma.

For more information visit www.cbediploma.co.uk and

www.engineeringdiploma.com

Appendix E - The National Curriculum

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Subjects

include:

Art and Design

English


Geography

Maths

History

Modern Foreign Languages

Music

ICT

Citizenship

Physical Education

Personal, Health...

Religious Education

Careers/ Financial Capability

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Subjects

include:

Citizenship

English

ICT

Maths

Physical Education

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/

http://www.direct.gov.uk

http://www.cbediploma.co.uk

http://www.engineeringdiploma.com

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Appendix F Useful information Construction Industry Council have developed in collaboration with its members a careers pack called “A

Professional Career in the Built Environment” which has been designed for 11‐19 year olds considering a career in

the construction industry please visit

http://www.cic.org.uk/activities/CIC_AProfessionalCareer_BuiltEnvironment.pdf, for more on our skills and lifelong

learning work please visit our new site www.cicskills.org.uk

Construction Ambassadors ‐ These are a national network of people working in built environment professions. They

range from young graduates to senior practitioners. Construction Ambassadors give young people a real‐life

perspective of the industry by visiting schools and colleges and giving presentations or organising activities. They are

co‐ordinated by ConstructionSkills. For more information please visit www.cskills.org and type ‘construction

ambassadors’ in the search box.

Professional Institutions (PI) – They have their own education and careers sections on their website. Some have free

downloadable activities and resources and also other links. They also have information about specific career options

that students might ask for when you are working with them. For links to PI’s who are also members of CIC visit

http://www.cic.org.uk/about/full.shtml

STEM Ambassadors ‐ STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network), have a network of over

18,000 ambassadors who work in STEM related careers. Your company and employees could support this scheme

and be linked to local schools and colleges requesting assistance. For more information on this project visit

www.stemnet.org.uk

WISE ‐ The WISE campaign collaborates with industry and education to encourage UK girls of school age to value and

pursue STEM or construction related courses in school or college, and to move on into related careers

www.wisecampaign.org.uk/

The Industrial Trust ‐ The Industrial Trust is the leading national provider of out of school and in‐company

educational experiences for young people. Visit their website for further information www.industrialtrust.org.uk/

IEBE ‐ Institute of Education Business Excellence ‐ www.iebe.org.uk

The Institute of Education Business Excellence awards and holds a directory of local EBPs. These organisations offer a

wide range of services and support including organising work experience, teacher placements, visits, mentoring and

enterprise activities. In many cases, EBPs will conduct the necessary health and safety and insurance checks for

employers prior to work‐related activities.

14‐19 Diplomas – To find out more about the new diplomas visit the following two websites Construction and Built Environment www.cbediploma.co.uk/ and Engineering www.engineeringdiploma.com/

Employers’ Guide (developed by the Education and Employer’s Taskforce) – The Employers' Guide has been designed

to help employers of all types and sizes to work more closely with schools and colleges. Search “employer’s guide” on

the internet for more information.

http://www.cic.org.uk/activities/CIC_AProfessionalCareer_BuiltEnvironment.pdf

http://www.cskills.org

http://www.cic.org.uk/about/full.shtml

http://www.stemnet.org.uk

http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/

http://www.industrialtrust.org.uk/

http://www.cbediploma.co.uk/

http://www.engineeringdiploma.com/

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Appendix G Progression Tables There are a variety of routes which could be taken to achieve technician, chartered or professional status in a built

environment related discipline. An individuals progression route will also depend which country they are taking studying

or working in. Typical progression route maps are included for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

For more on study and progression routes please visit the Built Environment Careers Map at http://careers.cicskills.org.uk/

34


Progression Tables

35


ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council for Construction. It is a partnership between the Construction Industry Council (CIC), CITB ConstructionSkills and CITB ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland

Construction Industry Council

26 Store Street

London

WC1E 7BT

www.cic.org.uk

www.cicskills.org.uk

t. +44 (0)207 399 7400

f. +44 (0)207 399 7425

For more information contact

Danna Walker, Project Coordinator

Skills and Lifelong Learning

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