Teachers experience Education for Employability by taking on Construction Jobs
ConstructionSkills in Northern Ireland is supporting a unique Teacher Placement Project developed by the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). They have given ten teachers from throughout Northern Ireland the opportunity to complete a work placement in the construction industry. Each placement lasts 3 days and the employers in the sector are very supportive of the initiative.
Education for Employability was introduced in schools as part of the revised Northern Ireland curriculum in September 2007. For the last three years schools in the Dungannon and Cookstown, Newry and Mourne, Greater Belfast and Coleraine areas have been leading the way and championing CCEA initiatives that help implement the programme fully.
Vivienne Bannon, Education for Employability, CCEA, commented:
“The teachers that complete these placements have a unique opportunity to gain an insight into the construction sector and the skills that are required in various fields of work. First-hand experience also enables them to appreciate the qualities and attitude required to work effectively and through participating in this scheme, teachers can bring real experiences back to the classroom and allow the world of construction to come to life for their pupils.”
Catherine McGeady, ConstructionSkills in NI said,
“By providing teacher placements I feel that we are making a real contribution to education. As the Sector Skills Council for Construction, it is important that we play our part in ensuring that the future workforce of Northern Ireland can meet the demands of the modern workplace.
The Teacher Placement Scheme helps showcase the range of career options that exist and it provides us at ConstructionSkills in NI with an opportunity to highlight the construction industry as one of those options.”
CCEA’s Teacher Placement Scheme will be ongoing throughout the year and will be supported by Lagan Construction, Felix O’Hare, Farrans, Henry Bros, O’Neill Bros, Conway Builders and McCann Bros Seskinore
