A team from McBains recently spent the day at Hopwood Hall College and University Centre, where the property and construction consultancy is sponsoring the college’s ‘Design Engineer Construct!’ (DEC) learning programme.
The team, consisting of Tassos Kougionis, Asela Premachandra and Claudia Cioli, delivered workshops, team activities and presentations to around 30 students on the subject of sustainability, embodied carbon and net zero carbon. They encouraged the students to consider the topics in the context of their own project to refurbish an existing chapel; encouraging them to approach their project in a holistic way, taking into account the building elements but also the social benefits of the project.
Carl Reevell, Advanced Lecturer at Hopwood Hall College and University Centre commented: “I didn’t think it was possible to fit so much learning into one day….. but the team at McBains did it. Big thanks to Asela Premachandra, Tassos Kougionis and Claudia Cioli you all put in so much time and effort to prepare for what was a great day for our level 2&3 CLASS OF YOUR OWN DEC students”.
The award-winning DEC programme, created by Class of Your Own (COYO), has gained a reputation as "the most innovative, challenging and relevant secondary school curriculum development in recent years".
By partnering with Hopwood Hall College and University Centre, McBains hopes to support emerging talent. Their 3-year commitment will allow the firm to get to know the students, supporting them in their development and career progression, as well as identifying those with a real passion and desire to progress in DEC, potentially leading to apprenticeships within the business.
DEC arms young people with knowledge and transferable skills for a career in a digital, sustainable and collaborative Built Environment, enabling them to understand the way that data and information is captured, used and shared through a range of systems, processes and advanced technologies.
Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths ('STEM') with Art and creativity ('STEAM'), and with clear impact on numeracy and literacy skills, DEC offers a wide range of curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities
