High five - students’ skills take shape at showcase event

Published by Diana Maccarthy for Frank Haslam Milan in Housing and also in Communities

A SITE manager has taken a team of construction students to a prestigious industry showcase and teaching event inLondonwhich saw an eco house completed from start to finish in just six days.

Adrian Morley, who has worked for Doncaster-based Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) for nine years, took five exemplary students to the World Skills 2011 event atLondon’s ExCel centre, which this year saw the sustainability agenda at the fore.

Committed to passing on construction skills to the next generation of build professionals,Adrianlectures part-time at Leeds College of Building, on the CIOB Level 4 Diploma in Site Management, which includes modules on surveying techniques, quality assurance and planning.

FHM’s Adrian, a qualified civil engineer, is in his fourth teaching year after completing a two year part-time Diploma in Teaching in the Life Long Learning Sector.

He took the team fromLeedsto the showcase event, which saw students from nine colleges across the country work on the eco house. Each college took responsibility for a different aspect of the build on the sustainable project, with the team fromLeeds, three young men and two young women, taking the lead on site management underAdrian’s expert guidance.

Adriansaid: “World Skills is an amazing showcase event for these budding young construction professionals to be a part of. People from all over the world came to the event to see the students build the eco house from the very foundations and to study the latest sustainable technologies installed including photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting, solar thermal heating and air source heat pumps.”

The students underAdrian’s guidance included Jagbir Singh Dhillon and Richard Thompson, who are studying a BTEC Extended Diploma in Civil Engineering, Dimitrijus Stasiukas, studying for an HND in Civil Engineering, Catherine Armstrong, studying for a BTEC Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment and Bethany Wilson, a Civil Engineering Apprentice on day release.

World Skills 2011 came to a close on Saturday 8^th October. Catherine Armstrong, aged 27, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity and a real eye opener about project management. It’s shown me the importance of team work on site and of how you need to pay attention to every detail.”

Jagbir Singh Dhillon, aged 18, added: “It was such an experience. I learnt so much more than you would from studying in a classroom. I’ve valued the opportunity to be mentored and then to put those skills into practise on your own straightaway.”

Adrianadded: “This year’s focus was on sustainability and renewable technology. Building the eco house in just six days demonstrates that incorporating sustainability need not impact on construction times.”

Frank Haslam Milan is committed to the sustainability agenda and is building to Level 5 of the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes. It is also a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited installer.