29 April 2015

Two Costain electrical engineering apprentices are going back to school to help inspire a new generation of engineers.

Joe Cooper and Ross Trickett joined Costain last year from Chesterfield College on a four-year apprenticeship and now work on the M1 Smart Motorways (M1SM) project. They have embarked on a series of school visits to encourage other young people to consider engineering as a career. So far they have visited two schools: Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby and The Bolsover School, both in Derbyshire.

At Saint Benedict, Joe and Ross were part of a Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) event, where 20 students on a BTEC in Construction course met with them and two other local employers. At The Bolsover School’s Industry Day, Joe and Ross were among representatives from a number of local companies who talked to Year 10 students about the world of work and conducted mock interviews.

“The idea at both events was to talk to the kids about what careers they wanted to do, and tell them about the opportunities in construction/engineering,” said Joe. “They in turn wanted to know about our experiences in the industry – what it’s like working for Costain, what subjects we studied, how long apprenticeships last and so on.

“I remember what it was like when I was their age, so I was only too happy to help and try and answer their questions. It was good to be able to tell them that there are lots of opportunities in construction/engineering and that it’s a good time to get involved. I really enjoyed both days and was glad to be representing Costain and the construction/engineering industry.”

Both Joe and Ross are doing a great job, said Natalie Peacock, M1SM Project Skills Coordinator. “They’ve done Costain proud - both days have been a great success. We’re now looking to get more of our apprentices and graduates out into schools in the area.”

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