Construction students get real-life work experience

Construction students were granted the opportunity to explore the site of South Essex College’s new state of the art Digital Technology campus in the heart of Basildon Town Centre.

First and second year construction students were granted access to the site for two weeks, to learn the process of building a project on a large scale.
 
Morgan Sindall, the main contractor, guided students through the site covering a variety of topics on practical surveying, health and safety regulations and employment opportunities within the construction industry.

They also provided students with an interactive building task which allowed them to create the first foundation of a building and survey their structure with specialised equipment.

Richard Abiodun, course leader for the Level 3 Extended Diploma Construction and the Built Environment, said: “It has been a great opportunity for students to gain outdoor site experience, by acknowledging health and safety regulations as well as engaging with practical surveying equipment linked to surveying tasks.

“The site visit was an eye opener as students learnt that the construction and built environment sector offers apprenticeships and higher education pathways.”

One student also quoted: “It’s fantastic that large construction companies are able to offer and facilitate site visits. It’s great that professionals can interact with us and explain the build using construction terminology, which makes our learning back in the classroom a lot easier to understand.”

For more information about the college’s construction and engineering courses, visit www.southessex.ac.uk