2nd Oct 2024

Sir Robert McAlpine Promotes Construction Skills in West Cumbria

A unique 13m cable-stayed bridge teaches West Cumbrian students hands-on civil engineering skills, promoting STEM careers and pathways into construction.

‘Building bridges, constructing futures’ Supporting construction skills in West Cumbria.

We have been using a 13m cable-stayed bridge, one of only a handful available in the country, to teach West Cumbrian students practical civil engineering skills.

We are working with local education and community partners, using the bridge to promote STEM skills and career opportunities in construction.

Claire Louise Chapman, Social Impact Lead, Sir Robert McAlpine, said:

“This is such an unusual resource, and it’s fantastic that we have it in West Cumbria to raise awareness of construction skills. Students building the bridge think about project management, health and safety, quality, as well as getting hands on with construction. It’s good fun, gets students thinking about construction and, we hope, will ultimately motivate more people from diverse backgrounds into our sector.”

Lakes College is hosting the bridge while it is in West Cumbria.  At 13 metres long, it needs a big space, and was first used at the Lakes College Festival of Work in July, where groups of school students built the bridge, learning about the diversity of skills and careers needed in civil engineering. The College then used the bridge to promote student recruitment into construction training as part of their Skills Development Week for the Extended Certificate in Construction Skills.

Future plans for the bridge include working with community partners All Together Cumbria and Cumbria Youth Alliance to support adult career changers and to offer an INSET day for careers and STEM leads to promote the diversity of careers in construction and pathways for young people.

Latest news

  1. A19 named England’s No1 road

    08 Nov 2024

    The Strategic Roads User Survey by Transport Focus highlights the remarkable success of the A19 DBFO Project.

    Read more about
  2. Remembrance Day

    08 Nov 2024

    This Remembrance Day, we reflect on the contributions of our team members with military backgrounds, celebrating the resilience, leadership, and values they bring to our company.

    Read more about
  3. Forum wins at Education Estates Awards 2024

    30 Oct 2024

    University of Exeter Forum won “Building Resilience – Building that have stood the test of time” at the 2024 Education Estates Awards

    Read more about
View all news