On Friday, 14 March we welcomed Lea Hampton, whose role is in Community Development at the developer Grainger. Lea began by giving an assembly to Year 11 pupils about the vast range of roles in construction. She explained that aged 16 she would never have seen herself in the industry but that a career can take you to unexpected places. Lea outlined Grainger’s current project at Berewood and informed pupils about the obligations a developer has to provide infrastructure, such as primary schools and exercise space, and to respect protected species when creating new housing. She also outlined how welcome she has been as a woman, even though it is traditionally a male dominated industry. Lea encouraged Year 11 students to see this as the most exciting time of their lives as they move from school to areas that they have chosen to study and work in. She has very kindly said she will offer work experience to any interested pupils - please get in touch with the school if your child is interested in any area of construction and we can put them in touch.

Lea then gave a talk to a group of Year 10 students who have expressed interest in construction, architecture and trades. She explained why construction is an area of growth and so likely to lead to a sustainable career path, outlining that in 2023 about 240,000 new homes were built and 259,000 people were directly employed in construction. CITB estimates that 251,500 new worker will be needed by 2028. Pupils may be interested in the videos Lea has made of her interviewing those in a range of roles in the sector, which can be found here //www.youtube.com/@OneHortonHeath" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 130, 114);">https://www.youtube.com/@OneHortonHeath 

Overall, Lea gave pupils an invaluable insight into the significant role construction plays in the UK economy and encouraged them to consider career paths in this area.