Bowmer & Kirkland Group Lays Education Foundations

Bowmer & Kirkland Group Lays Education Foundations

Bowmer & Kirkland, one of the largest privately owned construction engineering and development groups in the UK has gone back to the classroom in order to provide the next generation of students with a better understanding of the construction industry in addition to building state of the art bricks and mortar education facilities.

Mindful of the Government's recent initiative to promote construction courses in schools, Bowmer & Kirkland has embarked on two pioneering educational projects at Derby College and Landau Forte College, also in Derby, that include the bricks and mortar construction of facilities as well as positioning Bowmer & Kirkland as teachers and mentors to students across Construction and other academic sectors respectively.

At Derby College, through the bricks and mortar transformation of the world's oldest locomotive Roundhouse into a high-tech education facility, Bowmer & Kirkland has encouraged construction students to visit the site to gain an insight into the building skills used in the past as well as gaining an appreciation of how their historic college was built.

The £42 million project, which is scheduled for completion in March 2009, will incorporate the construction of new buildings as well as the restoration of the current building which having remained derelict for 16 years, had been placed on the "Buildings at Risk" register in 2006.

John Betterton, Director of Bowmer & Kirkland Group said: "Both the Derby College and Landau Forte College initiatives are centered upon building solid foundations for the next generation. Engaging students in the construction of their new facilities not only gives them a greater sense of ownership but provides the opportunity to see a career in an exciting, challenging and diverse career that is the construction industry in the 21st century. We fully expect to see the students of today as the Bowmer and Kirkland employees of tomorrow and we want to provide as solid a foundation for that as possible".

Derby College Deputy Principal, Nigel Gell said: "This new facility will provide state-of-the-art facilities for Derby college students and create a huge 15,000 sq m learning environment. Students who enrolled on construction courses in September will be the first to study at the Roundhouse once it opens in March."

At Landau Forte College in Derby, Bowmer & Kirkland staff building a new Art and Business Studies facility went back to the classroom to give students a better understanding of the construction industry.

The college seized the opportunity to use the knowledge and technical experience of Bowmer & Kirkland as well as project architects Rothera Goodchild, to provide seminars, interviews, visits and resource materials for a number of GCSE and A Level courses, with students encouraged to play an active part in both practical sessions and in the classroom.

In addition to providing scale rulers, drawings, mini Bills of Quantities, brick sample boards, programmes and basis material costs to the college, the partnership has specifically helped a number of departments such as Mathematics, Business Studies, Media Studies and Arts.

Activities have included survey exercises using theodilite and EDM equipment to measure distances / heights and undertake triangulation tests set by the site engineer, seminars on equal opportunities training and employment, material ordering / programming and quality and site administration.

David Green, head of business studies at Landau College, Derby said: "With legislation and practice changes on company activities, the insights provided by the Bowmer & Kirkland personnel adviser were most helpful as business theory lags behind current practice".

For further information, please visit www.bandk.co.uk or call Sarah Congiu at Bowmer & Kirkland on 01773 857514