Globally recognised engineering and construction firm Laing O’Rourke has chosen to sponsor Drummond Community High School.
Professionals will offer their expertise to support pupils and staff on the ‘Design Engineer Construct!’ course which Drummond has been piloting since last autumn.
S1 and S3 students began the course by collaboratively designing an eco classroom with help from industry insiders, academics and undergraduates.
S3s have since identified a plot of land suitable for construction, surveyed it and modelled it virtually. Next they spoke to potential users and stakeholders, then took their proposal through a ‘steering group ’ before designing and modelling a building with industry-standard software.
Earlier this month, students Sara Anderson, Mhairi Dickie, Louie Gibson, Jodie Kay and Charly Miller presented their work at the Chartered Institute of Building’s ‘Careers in Construction’ conference in Dundee. The response from professionals and teaching staff was hugely positive, with favourable comparisons being drawn to first-year undergraduate standards.
Laing O’Rourke’s ‘Adopt a School’ sponsorship followed, as have further offers of help from Fife College. Heriot Watt University and the University of the Highlands and Islands.
All in all, it’s another tremendously encouraging development for a school which continues to surprise, innovate and achieve great things.
Design Engineer Construct! was put together to raise the profile of technical and professional careers in the construction industry, and has been running down south since 2013. It’s now officially recognised in Scotland, and has been credit rated at SCQF Levels 4 and 6.
