Secondary case study
Our Lady & St John College
Our Lady & St John is a Voluntary Aided Catholic Comprehensive School for children from the age of 11 to 16.
They provide an environment where both boys and girls are able to develop spiritually, socially, intellectually and physically.
The school provides a secure, stimulating setting for learning that enables pupils to mature into responsible, self-confident young people who achieve their academic potential. The school encourages a sense of self-esteem and an awareness of responsibilities and duties, as well as an appreciation of the world in which they live.
Business Studies Teacher Andrew Larkin wanted to demonstrate to students the wide range of careers available in any chosen industry, and so he opted to use Learn Live’s online portal to link pupils directly with a live feed to learn about careers in construction and engineering.
The session:
In collaboration with Scape Group, the public sector owned built environment specialist, Balfour Beatty hosted its largest ever interactive broadcast via Learn Live UK.
Our Lady & St John were part of a group of over 3,000 students from all over the country, aged between 11 and 18, who participated in the live feed. The session was led by Balfour Beatty Sustainability Manager Kevin Hutchinson.
The session, aimed at opening up construction and engineering to students from different backgrounds and cultures, involved live video feeds from employees on current Balfour Beatty led projects, including the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool and the M1 development near Leicestershire. The opportunity enabled students to observe engineering works being undertaken on a new motorway bridge; as well as see the view and control panel in an “office in the sky”, atop of one of our tower cranes. Whilst learning about careers in construction management, students were also encouraged to ask questions about the options available.
Outcomes:
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The students engaged well with the broadcast, asking questions and listening carefully. The students now understand that Balfour Beatty isn’t just about construction and that there are different roles available within Balfour Beatty’s teams.
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The students also gained an insight into what Balfour Beatty are looking for regarding work experience and at CV / interview stage and what subjects they needed to focus on for various different roles, from engineering to marketing.
Our students found the Balfour Beatty live broadcast both informative and engaging. The fact that it was live from various locations with specialists in different areas of Balfour Beatty made a huge impact on our student’s learning and understanding of this sector. We also liked the way that students could interact with the technology and ask questions and receive feedback direct from the staff at Balfour Beatty in real time on screen, making the session much more engaging than traditional classroom learning.
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Andrew Larkin, Business Manager at Our Lady and St John College, Blackburn
