Pupils from Coatbridge recently visited the site of their old school to take part in a construction challenge led by Robertson Group.
Robertson Partnership Homes welcomed 20 pupils from St Ambrose High School to its site where it is delivering 40 affordable homes. Pictured above from left to right are Joy Roy (St Ambrose Deputy Headteacher), Ryan Lindsay, Liam Gardner, Reece Rooney (students) and Robert Stewart (Robertson Site Manager). The senior pupils were taken on a tour of the site and given an overview of the construction process and the different roles required, before putting their practical skills to the test assembling houses out of timber kits.
Assembly of each timber kit, overseen by the Robertson site team, first required the pupils to use joinery skills before laying the brickwork — providing a taster experience of both trades.
Gemma Gourlay, Director of Social Sustainability for Robertson Group, said: “It was brilliant to welcome the pupils to not only a site that holds special significance for them, but a site that will help transform the local community once complete.
“The fact there is so much going on at Blair Road has presented us with a great opportunity to engage with local young people and highlight the variety of different roles involved in the project — from the different trades to site and project management.
“The timber kit challenge is an engaging and interactive way of helping the pupils discover the areas they are interested in, and also identify the areas they are not.
“It’s of the highest importance to Robertson to use our leading position within the built environment industry to provide varied opportunities for young people to benefit both personally and professionally.”
The site at Blair Road forms part of the wider NL Homes programme being delivered in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council, which will see 2,150 new homes built over the next decade, transforming the housing supply throughout the county.
The project was procured through Scape Group’s National Major Works Framework, now superseded by Major Works Scotland, part of the (Scape) National Construction framework, and delivered by Robertson in partnership with Willmott Dixon.
