16 December 2010

More than 2,300 teenagers were able to take a look at the construction and engineering industry during a special careers event attended by 4Delivery and Costain on the South Coast.

Your Future, Your Choice attracted more than 70 companies to the event. It was organised by Brighton & Hove Education Business Partnership (EBP) and held at Brighton Racecourse. Through EBP programmes, employers can help raise the aspirations of young people and can become directly involved in initiatives that encourage young people to develop key skills required for the world of work.

The target audience was pupils aged 14-16 from schools in the area. Both the 4D joint venture consisting of Costain, Veolia Water and MWH, and Costain itself had stands at the event.

“We laid on activities for pupils at the stands,” said George Hilliar, 4D’s Training Manager. “We got them to build a tetrahedron using wooden poles and rubber bands, or to build a Lego tower as tall as possible within 30 seconds.”

While doing so, the Costain and 4D teams were able to talk to the pupils and hopefully plant the germ of an idea about careers in the construction and engineering industries in their heads. “It was certainly worthwhile,” said Hilliar, who found himself being interviewed by BBC South television news, which was filming a report on the event.

He appeared on the evening’s regional news programme although sadly some of his comments relating to Costain’s active recruitment programme for graduates and apprentices ended up on the cutting room floor.

4Delivery is delivering environmental improvements for Southern Water across the South East, including a new £300 million scheme to bring cleaner seas to Sussex.

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