BEDFORDSHIRE and Luton’s Apprentice of the Year shared his enthusiasm for the construction industry with other young people.
Zak Hussain, 19, pictured right, from the Farley Hill area of Luton, recently won his category at the Rising Stars awards.
Zak, a Wates Construction Apprentice, went along to the Centre for Youth and Community Development (CYCD) in Luton to put youngsters through their paces during a youth challenge.
The idea was to showcase the creativity and technical skill needed to make it in construction and inspire an even younger generation into a career in the industry.
Zak, an apprentice with the National Skills Academy for Construction said “I found this a really good experience. I think they everyone enjoyed the day and coped well with the challenges, especially given that they were working under such time pressures.
“I definitely think the kids now know a lot more about construction and the sorts of things you have to think about when planning a project.
“I didn’t have this kind of thing when I was younger and I would like to see a far more of these events especially if they will eventually result in more young people coming into the industry.”
The event with a group of 40 youngsters aged 10 to 15 was the second of its kind in the Bury Park area in recent weeks and is part of an ongoing initiative to spark interest among young people in the industry, offering them the chance to learn first hand about construction, the variety of careers the industry offers and get a glimpse at types of skills and abilities needed.
One of the tasks was the Morrison City Exercise which saw the youngsters work in teams to design and plan a development of a housing estate of six houses, a local supermarket and accompanying roads and services.
The estate then had to be assembled to a strict deadline with teams receiving penalties and bonuses for efforts.
Mick O’Flynn, regional delivery manager for CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: “It is important we encourage young people, particularly those in under-represented groups, to look to construction for an exciting and fulfilling career.
“We are working hard to bring new blood into the industry, as the growth of the sector relies upon fresh talent to deliver new technologies and specialist skills in an ever-evolving world.”
He added that the industry offers opportunities for career progression across a variety of sectors.
Head of the winning team was Shamira Halim, 15, from Denbigh High School.
She said: “I really liked the event and found out a lot more about different careers in construction. I was the manager on a team full of boys which was really good and I enjoyed getting to meet new people and learning about working quickly together to a deadline.”
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