Students swapped the classroom for our workshops on a special visit to our headquarters with Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and our local MP Chris Chope. The 17-strong party from the Twynham and the Grange schools – both local to our premises in Christchurch, Dorset – were joined by our Managing Director Simon Boyd, Chairman Tim Reid and DCCI chief executive Ian Girling as well as Portfolio Holder for Economy at Christchurch Borough Council Vicki Hallam.
We were delighted to welcome the pupils and their head teachers for a visit after we sponsored both schools to become members of DCCI’s trailblazing Young Chamber Programme to link business and education.
The pupils and staff heard more about our wide-ranging work as a structural steel company with the ability to design and construct entire buildings around the world – from cathedrals in Central America and bridges in Africa to football stadiums and industrial units in the UK.
Our QHSE Manager Mark Bradbury and Works Manager John White led the tour, which included a presentation by our Managing Director Simon, talks in our Drawing Office and demonstrations in our workshops. Grange student Faith Bailey, 15, was given the honour of pushing a button on our ‘profiler’ machine to demonstrate how intricately designed steelwork was cut.
Chairman Tim Reid, John Harrison, Structural Design Engineer, and Senior Detailing Draughtsmen Darren Barton & Steve Roberts were among our skilled professionals on hand to explain our detailed design and build process to the students.
As a local family owned company with 130 employees we are wholly committed to recruiting locally where possible and in giving our employees the best training and career development. Our Managing Director Simon Boyd presented both schools with steel shields showing their school crests to mark their visit and our sponsorship of the Young Chamber Programme.
Faith described the visit as ‘awesome’ and said that her aim was a career in computer animation.
Simon thanked the schools for visiting and said that as well as supporting them, we also hoped to encourage other businesses to forge similar links too.