Press Release
Date: Wednesday 18 October 2006 (NR/29/06)
School kids building a future that's "Out of This World"
Local primary school pupils have been launching rockets, building chairs and even creating their own orchestra with instruments made from recycled rubbish.
It's all part of the launch of a new teaching resource aimed at harnessing the enterprising skills of our pupils. The "Out of This World" resource is developed jointly by the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and ConstructionSkills, the sector skills council for construction.
Cecil Holmes, Officer in charge of Employability at CCEA comments;
"Through this resource children will take part in activities designed to equip them with a 'can do' attitude and provide valuable opportunities to improve their self confidence and self esteem. It also supports the revised Northern Ireland Curriculum, in particular, Enterprise as part of Education for Employability."
Over the next five years it is estimated that 2,620 new employees will be needed every year until to 2010 in order to meet the growing demand created by major projects in Northern Ireland. Research shows that the Northern Ireland workforce currently lacks the skills to exploit these opportunities.
William McMullan, Director of Training Strategy for ConstructionSkills said;
"Most of the factors unconsciously affecting young people's career choices are in place by the time they are 13 years old. The "Out of this World" resource will create awareness and understanding of construction in Years 6 and 7.
This means when the time comes to make career choices, children will be more informed about the opportunities that exist within the construction industry.
ConstructionSkills is the first Sector Skills Council to work directly with primary schools and will continue with it efforts to engage the younger generation."
If you would like more information about this resource please contact Melanie Mulligan at CCEA on 02890 261447 or email mmulligan@ccea.org.uk
You can also find out more about Education for Employability by visiting CCEA's From Little Acorns website at www.ccea.org.uk/fla
The "Out of this World" resource helps develop children's enterprising skills by allowing them to assume the role of a construction company whose task is to help design and create a 3D model of an environmentally friendly hotel in a bid to encourage space tourism. As a result they will also develop an understanding of the construction industry.
"Out of this World" will be distributed by CCEA free of charge to all Northern Ireland primary schools following its launch in the Science Park at the Titanic Quarter.
Education for Employability - is one of the elements underpinning the objectives in the revised Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum, which will be introduced to schools from September 2007.
It encompasses three dimensions in primary schools:
- Fostering Personal Development
- Working in the Local and Global Economy
- Enterprise
Schools Involved in the Launch
St Teresa's Primary School - Glen Road
Elmgrove Primary School - Beersbridge Road
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
