A construction skills course has been launched for Year 10 students from Bay House School in Gosport, Hampshire.

The course, funded by Berkeley Homes, will provide practical experience of working in construction.

It mixes gaining a valuable qualification at college, with real-life experiences on a construction site, and valuable knowledge from some of their employees.

Initially 12 students will take part in the 30-week course, which starts this month and will run through the school year, resulting in a BTEC Level 1 Extended Certificate in Construction. This will involve attending Highbury College in Portsmouth once a week to undertake modules in topics such as carpentry, plastering and bricklaying, as well as health and safety. They will also gain hands-on experience of working at Berkeley's nearby Royal Clarence Marina development in Gosport.  

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Chris Gilbert, Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (Southern) said: "We are pleased to welcome the students to this unique programme that offers a wide range of practical and employability skills that we hope they will find positively engaging. The construction industry is crying out for more young people to take an interest in jobs in this sector, so we want to give them a taster of some vocational skills that could lead to stable employment. For students that find traditional academia challenging, school can be a disillusioning place so it is great to be able to provide a different kind of opportunity to those young people."   

Ian Potter, Head Teacher at Bay House School added: "Taking part in this scheme is a unique opportunity that will allow this group of young people to tackle new challenges and gain confidence. It also gives them a recognised qualification in construction, putting them in a good position to take on an apprenticeship or progress directly to a trade-specific course at college if they are interested. This is a great example of the way that businesses and employers in the local area can offer invaluable real world experience to young people who need some extra support and direction."   

This course is delivered in partnership with Highbury College in Portsmouth, which is experienced in providing pre-16 courses and has excellent construction course facilities.

(CM)