This week marks the return of ‘Better Learners Better Workers’ (BLBW) with Esh Construction taking part in the programme for a second year.
The employer-led programme provides young people with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to be successful in the world of work. Esh Construction has been paired with Wath Academy and Maltby Academy to deliver its award-winning Construction in the Curriculum programme, along with employability workshops and an informative session about the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).
BLBW has been designed to enable schools to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks for good career guidance in line with the Department for Education’s Careers strategy: making the most of everyone’s skills and talents.
Students apply for a place on the programme and are selected based on interviews with the BLBW team in collaboration with their respective school.
Esh will engage with 20 year nine students across both schools offering both classroom-based and site-based experiences, with students set to visit Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor to see a real-life construction site firsthand. Engagement will equate to 120 learner hours.
Megan Roberts, social value manager at Esh Construction, said: “I am delighted that we are taking part in Better Learners Better Workers programme for a second year. Last year, we delivered meaningful sessions that positively impacted the students that took part and I’m looking forward to building on this further with the upcoming workshops.
“By delivering our Construction in the Curriculum maths sessions, students will gain a real insight into the job of a Quantity Surveyor before visiting a live construction project to develop their understanding of other roles in the industry. Through employability workshops we will discuss routes into the industry, various different careers and help change the outdated perceptions of construction, preparing students for future employment once they leave education.”
Leading the BLBW programme is Sarah Ward. She said: “Esh have worked with us both in primary and secondary schools over the past 12 months on the BLBW programme. They have provided an invaluable insight into the construction industry and the many job roles available in the sector.
“Many of our students thought construction was only for boys and that the only jobs available were bricklaying and plumbing and it was great to see how excited they were to find out how many different careers there are and how many girls work at Esh.
“Megan and her team are so passionate about what they do and they have definitely been a huge part of our success last year.”
Last year’s BLBW engagement was delivered at Wath Academy. This included two employability sessions and mental health awareness workshops. To complete the programme, students visited a nearby site to learn more about road construction and the use of GPS technology in a construction environment.
BLBW is led by The Cutlers’ Company, prestigious leaders of engineering and manufacturing in South Yorkshire, who work in partnership with Sheffield City Council and employers to deliver the programme for various sectors across South Yorkshire.
I am delighted that we are taking part in Better Learners Better Workers programme for a second year. Last year, we delivered meaningful sessions that positively impacted the students that took part and I’m looking forward to building on this further with the upcoming workshops.”
