SOCOTEC UK & Ireland delivers sessions to local school to mark National Apprenticeship Week
SOCOTEC UK & Ireland’s Southern Ground Investigation team recently delivered a series of interactive sessions to students at Treetops School, in Essex, to mark the culmination of National Apprenticeship Week.
Working with clients at Balfour Beatty, SOCOTEC led three presentations to students at the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school. The sessions aimed to provide students with insights into apprenticeship pathways and the ground investigation work being conducted in their local area as part of the Lower Thames Crossing scheme.
SOCOTEC’s Operations Manager for GI South, Brian Nottage and Lauren Edmunds, Social Impact Manager at Balfour Beatty, led the presentations which brought geology and engineering to life for the students.
These presentations included an overview of local geology and the materials found beneath the ground, ground investigation techniques that will be employed near the school site, as well as the importance of these investigations ahead of major construction projects – like the Lower Thames Crossing works.
There were also extensive discussions surrounding the career opportunities that are available through apprenticeships within the engineering and construction sectors.
Brian and his colleagues brought material and rock samples that were commonly discovered during ground investigations, allowing students to examine and handle these specimens directly.
“It was a pleasure to visit Treetops School. They are local to us, in Grays, and the sessions seemed to spark considerable interest among students, who asked us lots of questions about geological processes, the Lower Thames Crossing project and broader topics related to geography and geology in the local area. Our own apprentices shared their personal experiences and spoke about why they would recommend the apprenticeship route to others. It was also great to partner on the scheme with Lauren and Balfour Beatty, it cements our relationship with one another, and we are looking forward to carrying out more activities like this in the near future.”
SOCOTEC’s collaboration with Balfour Beatty and Treetops School represents an example of how major infrastructure projects, such as the Lower Thames Crossing, can create opportunities for meaningful educational outreach, inspiring the next generation of engineers and construction professionals.