Posted: 30/11/15
Students’ ‘real-life’ placement at Mansfield housing development
Construction students from West Nottinghamshire College are getting real-life work experience on a major Mansfield housing regeneration project thanks to the college's dedicated efforts of its work placement team.
Site manager James Ellis with Jordan Dallison, Spencer Reeve and Jake Statham and Shaun Nee and Gerry Doherty of Keepmoat
Carpentry and joinery level one students Spencer Reeve, (17) and Jordan Dallison, (18) along with brickwork level two student Jake Statham, (18) have been getting work experience on the Poppy Fields extra care scheme, off Centenary Road in Mansfield (formerly Bould Street).
The extra care scheme is an extension to traditional supported housing where older people with additional care needs will live as independently as possible with care staff on-hand, 24-hours-a-day.
Sixty four properties are being constructed by community regeneration specialist, Keepmoat, in partnership with Mansfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.
The trio of students, who are three of more than forty students to gain construction experience on this site, have been putting their joinery and brickworks skills to use in some of the dwellings, constructing roof rafters, skirting boards and interior and exterior walls.
Keepmoat has been tasked to build and develop the scheme, due for completion in spring 2016, in the style of a village with a green and a communal hub. The new development street names will be called Flanders Close, Poppy Court, Liberty Close and Foresters Close.
Original houses which stood on Brownlow Road and Bould Street were demolished in 2011 after standing empty and boarded up for more than eight years and the area was once a hotspot for anti-social behaviour and crime – even dubbed the ‘worst street in England.’
Students from the college’s construction and building campus, in Kirkby-in-Ashfield first began work placement on the site when the project commenced in August 2014, after the college's work placement team set up the link with Mansfield District Council.
It is now a requirement of all students at the college to secure a period of course-relevant work placement and from August 2014 to completion of the project in 2016, up to forty students will have experienced valuable work placement on site.
Head of construction Julian Walden said: “By providing our students with work placements on a high-profile building project such as this, is really exposing them to realistic tasks and situations which they will encounter in permanent employment.
“Keepmoat have been very flexible in providing such a range of placements for students across our various construction specialisms and feedback from how students have been getting along on site has been very positive.”
Keepmoat social value officer Shaun Nee said: “At Keepmoat it’s not just about bricks and mortar, and we recognise that it is hugely important to support local people and encourage employment in the construction industry.
“We have received very positive feedback from the students at West Nottinghamshire College and are delighted with the progress they’re making to improve their skill set. We hope that the work experience has encouraged the students to consider career options in construction and we are proud to be working in partnership with the college to offer these exciting opportunities.”
Executive Mayor at Mansfield District Council, Kate Allsop said: “We’re delighted that the Poppy Fields extra care scheme is giving young, local people the opportunity to learn new skills and gain valuable work experience that will help them to find employment in the construction industry in the future.
“We are very keen to ensure that our house building programmes, not only deliver quality accommodation, but also create work and training opportunities for the young people of Mansfield.”
To see a video of the plan for Keepmoat’s regeneration of Brownlow Road, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc96M20K0vw
To read a previous news article about some of our other construction apprentices gaining experience on the site, click here
