Laying the Foundations for Industry's Future

Pupils in S3 and S4 attended the event to learn more about the breadth of careers in the construction industry.

An event showcasing the variety of careers available in the construction industry was recently held in the Orkney Auction Mart.

Organised by Orkney Construction Training Group (OCTG) and supported by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Construction Careers Event showcased the different trades available, highlighting the variety of skills that are needed across the industry.

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​This was the second construction career event put on by the industry, following their first successful event in 2023.

Over 450 S3 and S4 pupils from Kirkwall Grammar School, Stromness Academy, Sanday, Stronsay and Westray Junior High Schools were taken to the event, where they had a chance to ‘have a go’ at some of the trades.  There were ten stations dedicated to different areas of the industry including joinery, painting and decorating, plumbing, stonemasonry and, architecture and CAD drawing.  There was also a chance to see some heavy plant machinery.

Some of the activities pupils could try out included bricklaying, taping and filling and wiring a light switch. There was also a chance to try out operating a crane and climb some scaffolding.

Thirteen employers within the construction industry supported the event, along with staff from UHI Orkney, Francis Sinclair, the CITB Apprenticeship Officer in Orkney and Katy Clouston, Orkney Construction Training Group, who organised the event.

Employers were on hand to speak to attendees, answering their questions about working in the construction industry.  They also explained how to undertake the activities on offer and provided advice and support to attendees while they tried their hand at some of the activities.

Thank you to the Orkney Construction Training Group for organising the event, and to CITB, UHI Orkney and all the employers to coming along.

Some photos from the event can be found below.