Why we care about ‘Careers Made in Chesterfield’

We are excited to announce our involvement in the Careers Made in Chesterfield initiative, created to deliver career support and guidance in local schools through public, private and education collaboration.

Currently being piloted in Parkside Community School, the initiative includes in-school talks, hands-on activities, and workshops to raise awareness of the property and construction sector and jobs and roles available. Careers Made in Chesterfield is supported by the Chesterfield Property and Construction Forum, which we are a member of, and is looking to receive further support from other businesses within the local property and construction sector.

Director Kriston Harvey said: “I do not remember being made aware of the range of careers available in the construction sector when I was at school. I am keen to raise awareness, and having lived in Chesterfield for around 40 years, it is nice to be able to support this local initiative. There is no need to leave the town you live in to have an exciting and fulfilling career.”

At Rodgers Leask, our business plan contains a commitment to providing both apprenticeship and graduate career opportunities, while providing social value for the towns and cities surrounding our offices. This initiative will be beneficial to students, proving a unique insight into what we do, and for us it is a perfect opportunity to encourage more people to consider a career in engineering consultancy – with the possibility that they may engage with us if they look to secure a role.

Early signs suggest just how successful this initiative will be. Following sessions held in March, the number of students interested in work experience placements rose from 12 to 25, with the amount of interested female students rising from three to ten. 65% of students learnt information about construction careers that they were not previously aware of and 53% discovered new career opportunities that they had not previously heard of.

Subject to funding, Chesterfield Borough Council is hoping to work with partners to roll out the Careers Made in Chesterfield initiative to more schools across the borough from September 2023.

Kriston continued: “We will continue to support Careers Made in Chesterfield and hope to see it rolled out to other schools in Chesterfield later this year. In the meantime, the initiative inspires us to make new contacts from within the local property and construction industry so that we can formulate a consistent approach to promoting careers.

“We are currently working on a couple of projects with Chesterfield Borough Council and it is hoped that as these projects progress we can provide the opportunity for students to visit the sites and learn more about important schemes in their community. Showing students live projects and giving them first-hand experience of design and construction will be sure to open many eyes.”

It is important that the construction and engineering consultancy industries promote and support the next generation in understanding the career paths available and how to get there. Maintaining connections developed through this initiative and inspiring someone to take up a career in construction is our greatest priority – made even better if it is with us. Watch the Careers Made in Chesterfield showcase online here for a flavour of what the initiative offers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQDFJoHSjmo