Jersey students to be inspired by world class construction

GCSE students from Le Rocquier school will this week travel to London to see two iconic development schemes, as part of a new GCSE course in ‘Design, Engineer, Construct’.

The Year 10 students will visit London’s Olympic Park Complex, Battersea Powerstation Development, and will be guests at the Sir Robert McAlpine ‘150 Years’ Celebration event for schools.

SRM, along with Jersey’s Garenne Construction Group, provide the industry funding and support for the DEC course at Le Rocquier, with specialist professionals from each company regularly sharing their experience and skills with students in the classroom.

Skills Jersey’s Dave Roworth said: "These students will be the first in a long line of young people who will leave school with the skills needed to begin a career in the Built Environment industry. They are already using advanced software to create their designs, and visits like this help students gain an understanding of all the factors required for a successful community build project."

Marc Burton, chief executive of C.I. Operations for Garenne Group Ltd, added: "These visits help to illustrate the wide range of career opportunities in construction, and the DEC programme is providing local students with clear pathways into the industry, at an important time for the island."

The DEC qualification was added to the list of approved GCSE qualifications last year, and is part of an education strategy, in collaboration with industry, to boost STEM skills in schools.

Assistant Education Minister Jeremy Maçon said: "It is fantastic that Jersey students are able to take part in this GCSE course which will inspire the next generation of Built Environment professionals. Not only does the course help pupils get practical experience it also provides them with as much-wanted employability skills."