In early July, Turner Townsend one of our awesome “Adopt a School” partners, took 120 students from Marden High School in North Shields to visit the £42m Urban Science Building (USB) at Newcastle University. There, they discovered the reality of the theory they have been studying for the past 10 months as part of the DEC learning programme.
Turner & Townsend have been supporting teachers and students at Marden High School as they work their way through the accredited DEC curriculum since 2015. We are thrilled that they are creating opportunities, just like this, for children and young people.
The DEC qualification helps inspire the next generation to consider a career in construction, and to address a serious shortage of young British talent in the industry. DEC offers students the opportunity to develop a range of skills and knowledge relevant to the built environment and construction industry and apply their academic knowledge to real life projects.
While on the programme, students learn about the roles within a project team, sustainable design, architecture, planning, project management and procurement, and BIM, a discipline in which Turner & Townsend specialises.
Darren Laybourn, Director, Turner & Townsend commented:
“Visiting the £42m Urban Science Building (USB) at Newcastle University reinforces what the students have been learning in the classroom. They will have the opportunity to meet with the designers and both cost and project managers in situ and ask questions as we walk through the building site.
“It has been a delight to impart our knowledge to the students of Marden High School these past 10 months. The students and teachers have displayed a real thirst for knowledge which is both refreshing and reassuring.”
Pam Moderate, Sustainability Programme Manager at Newcastle University explained
“We are delighted to welcome students of Marden High School to Science Central. This field trip is a fantastic opportunity to share with young people the importance of architecture and design to sustainability which we are demonstrating at Newcastle University”.
Dave Marshall, Assistant Head Teacher at Marden High School commented:
“Since we started collaborating with Turner & Townsend in September 2015, we have seen significant progress and improvement of the students’ academic achievements. Their confidence has grown, and we are having conversations with these students about having a career in the design/built environment industry. These conversations were few and far between before we started collaborating with Turner & Townsend.”
In addition to their partnership with Marden High, Turner & Townsend are also sponsoring the DEC learning programme in Cardinal Wiseman School in Ealing, West London.
About Turner & Townsend
Turner & Townsend is an independent professional services company specialising in programme management, project management, cost management and consulting across the property, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. With 90 offices in 38 countries, they draw on their extensive global and industry experience to manage risk while maximising value and performance during the construction and operation of their clients’ assets.
