Next generation of Cornish construction workers swap college for construction site

A group of post 16 year-olds got to experience what life is like working within the housebuilding industry after swapping a day at college for a day on a construction site.

Persimmon Cornwall hosted the group of Helston Community College students at its Eve Parc development in Falmouth. The college is in close proximity to land recently purchased by housebuilder in South Cornwall.

During the visit, the Construction Diploma students gained first-hand experience of how a construction site operates, as well as the opportunity to learn more about the various build stages of a Persimmon home.

Persimmon’s site at Clodgey Lane has outline planning permission and could see the delivery of 404 new homes for local people, with 101 properties made available to a local housing association partner in the region.

Lead employability skills tutor Joe Davies said: “We are very grateful to Persimmon for allowing our students to visit the Eve Parc development and get to see first-hand what life is really like on a busy construction site.

“This visit helped show the students how the skills they are learning in college will equip them for a future within this industry.

“It also highlighted that there are employment opportunities within the construction industry in our local area and it will hopefully have inspired the students to work hard during their time at Helston Community College so they can, in future, go on to have a successful career within this industry here in Cornwall.”

Persimmon’s plans in Helston could open up a new market in Cornwall and could see the creation of significant new job opportunities for the lifespan of the site in the southern part of the county.

As part of Construction Diploma course at Helston Community College the students get taught a full range of construction industry skills while working alongside fully qualified tradesmen with the aim to gain skills to equip them for further education or employment.

The students were shown around the Eve Parc development by the site manager Tristan Marshall, and Persimmon’s regional apprenticeship manager Andy Wallis.