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Andy Melvin, WDH’s Multi Skills Assessor Trainer, shows Hemsworth Arts and Community College pupil, Emily Horsborough, how to solder pipework as part of the plumbing taster session.
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Pupils from Hemsworth Arts and Community College got to test out careers including plumbing and bricklaying at Wakefield and District Housing's (WDH) Austin Road Training Centre in Castleford earlier this week (Monday 28 September 2009).
The group of 16 Year 10 and 11 pupils jumped at the chance to get involved and try out life in the construction industry for the day.
“We were overwhelmed by the interest in the day," says Gary Marley, Employee Training Manager for WDH. “The school told us that there was so much interest that they could have filled the group several times over.”
After an introduction and safety talk the pupils were given practical demonstrations in plumbing and bricklaying before getting their hands dirty soldering pipes and laying bricks.
One of the pupils, Emily Horsborough said: “The school offered us the chance to come along and I thought I’d try it out. I’ve learnt how to build a wall and solder joints in pipes.”
Sophie Davis wanted to know more about working in construction. She said: “The day has been really interesting and has shown me more about the options I have in the future.”
The day was organised alongside Groundwork Wakefield and local education and is part of a wider initiative to attract women into construction.
Graham Ratcliffe, Skills and Training Programmes Manager for Groundwork Wakefield put the school in touch with WDH’s training team: “We were confident that through WDH’s dedicated training centre, they would be able to give the pupils a good insight into the construction industry and encourage them to consider the wider career options available to them.”
