Green Skills Safari Inspires Next Generation
A Green Skills Safari gave primary school pupils and their parents a unique insight into sustainable construction careers.
A group of 14 Year 6 children and their parents from Fulwell Junior School, in Sunderland, visited two construction sites in Pennywell and Whinfell, to gain a better understanding of the retrofit jobs market.
The event, the first of its kind in the region, was a minibus tour that saw participants explore live construction sites and speak to people who are actively working in these new roles.
The safari was organised in collaboration with the North East LEP, Fulwell Junior School, and construction regeneration specialists the RE:GEN Group.
The aim of the Green Skills Safari was to engage, educate and give real life insight into what green jobs are and how they are working to improve the lives of local communities.
Phil Graham, Primary Facilitator at the North East LEP, said: “Through our North East Ambition project, we want to ensure that all pupils, including those still in primary education, understand future opportunities in the region and the pathways into these jobs.
“The decarbonisation of homes to achieve net zero presents a huge opportunity for construction businesses and there is an increasing demand for a new set of skills and services to help make homes and buildings more sustainable. It was fantastic to be involved in this novel project, connecting business with both pupils and their families.”
Nicola Dryden, Careers Leader at Fulwell Junior School, said: “This kind of experience, where children can immerse themselves in a workplace and observe people doing their jobs in real time, is invaluable.
“Involving parents in careers education is also so important. Parents have such a huge influence on children, and it is crucial that they have a better understanding of the jobs market so that they can provide support and guidance for their children.
“It is rare that children get the chance to go out into a real workplace and I feel very lucky that we were able to give our children such a valuable opportunity.”
Nadia Scott, Managing Director, RE:geon Training, said: “At RE:geon, we know that taking an employer-led approach to training yields the greatest success. We see it first-hand every day with our training programmes so by having the opportunity to deliver this approach at a primary school level was a really refreshing and rewarding experience.
“By engaging with schools at such an early stage, we have the chance to really educate on the demand for construction green skills as well as exploring the new career opportunities and pathways that are emerging as a result.”
More information on green construction skills can be found here Construction Toolkit - North East Ambition