This week students from Kirk Balk Academy visited The Glass Works site office as part of an Inspiration Day.

A group of Year 8 students attended the workplace visit, with the purpose of informing young people about the types of roles open to them in the construction industry.

On arrival, the students heard from our Employment & Skills Manager Adeana Raper, who discussed the variety of different roles available in the industry. Then each student completed an online quiz to discover which career in construction might suit them best. Following this, the students walked around The Glass Works site, to learn more about the skills and talents required to create the transformational project.

The day was well received by the students, with them giving a presentation on their experience at the end of the day. One student said: “I have learnt that it isn’t all just jobs on a building site, it can be in technology and inside work too. You will need resilience because your plan or design won’t always work out. There are a few jobs we didn’t know about, for example a buyer.”

“It has changed my thoughts on construction because to be honest I wasn’t really looking forward to coming today but it was actually quite interesting, and I could see myself in one of these roles in the future. Like a boss because I like to be in charge.”

A thoroughly enjoyable day. It was fascinating to see how Barnsley town centre is being regenerated, and fascinating to learn about all the roles in construction. A real eye opener.

Sarah Dyer, Teacher, Kirk Balk Academy

Work Inspiration Week provides real-life workplace visits to help young people understand the range of roles and industries open to them. This year has seen a series of workplace visits organised for students aged 12-13 in Barnsley.