Inspiring The Next Generation of Construction

BH Civil Engineering were recently invited to visit a Primary 3 class to talk about how we build the world around us. From roads and bridges to hospitals and schools, we explored the vital role that civil engineering and construction play in shaping our communities.

We discussed the importance of construction in everyday life and introduced the pupils to a wide variety of careers available in the sector and how jobs like engineers, site managers, machine operatives and directors play important roles in the success of any project.

Our Approach

We decided to meet the kids at their level by incorporating fun characters in the presentation that they might encounter in their daily lives, including elements from Minecraft, Roblox, Bluey and Lego, we found that this approach helped with the kids engagement and will ideally create a positive link in their memories between the things they enjoy out of school and the construction industry.

We chose to use a call and response method throughout the talk to ensure the kids felt deeply involved in the presentation, allowing the pupils the time to ask any questions they had as we moved through topics and ensured they felt heard throughout.

We also held a ‘show and tell’ session at the end of the talk to allow the kids to try on hard hats, hi-vis vests, age-appropriate tools, and health & safety booklets to encourage their creativity and curiosity through physical and visual aids.

The Response

The pupils remained highly engaged throughout the talk, asking lots of questions relevant to the topics discussed. They were able to link the topics to activities they like to do at home, such as visiting their local park or playing games as well as gain new ideas based on what we discussed. The pupil’s teacher also provided positive feedback that the kids were left feeling very inspired about construction.

The session was a fantastic opportunity to promote early education in construction and to spark curiosity into how the built environment works. With the UK construction industry facing a growing skills gap, engaging with young people is more important than ever.