Two young people being taught on a construction site

Work experience at Waterbeach

Two young people being taught on a construction site
The team at Urban&Civic in Waterbeach welcomed three year 10 pupils from a local secondary school for work experience last week.

The pupils, who are all studying for their GCSEs at Cottenham Village College, visited the site to experience some of the opportunities available working with Urban&Civic, and our partners including Bradley Murphy Design, David Lock Associates and Stantec. 

They were treated to sessions on a variety of different topics including masterplanning, placemaking and marketing, finance, design, as well as hands-on activities like designing a sustainable school on the Waterbeach site, and even helping our housebuilders, Stonebond work on the first residential parcel here. 

Despite a number of challenges, including 42 degree temperatures, and a rail strike forcing a late reshuffle of the running order, the week was very well received with feedback including “everybody was so nice to us and taught us a lot about building a place” and “I don’t think I could have got a much better work experience placement”.

Theresa Glasby, from Urban&Civic, who organised and coordinated the week, said 

It was really nice to offer the programme to a local school who we already work closely with in a number of ways. All three pupils were lovely and really engaged, and it was good to be able to offer them a wide range of different opportunities and activities to take part in. We’re looking forward to running the programme again next year, although we will have to buy significantly more snacks.”

I don’t think I could have got a much better work experience placement.