Launch of Capital Xperience

Last night the great and the good of the construction industry gathered at the SW1 gallery to celebrate the launch of the 2009 Capital Xperience programme. The Construction Youth Trust is managing the employer engagement for this programme and, with a target of 50 students to be accommodated this year, it is vital that construction companies back the programme and offer placements for August 2009. Those employers attending the launch committed to provide 16 placements and the Trust is now looking for more companies to step up and support this life changing initiative.

The Capital Xperience programme enables students from schools and colleges in the five Olympic boroughs, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest to gain valuable paid work experience within various professions in the construction industry during a four week summer placement.

With its administration funded by the London Development Agency, the programme is designed to encourage students to consider careers in construction as well as providing them with useful employability skills.

Declan Kiernan was one of the students who made it onto last year’s fiercely competitive work experience programme and secured a four-week paid summer placement with Taylor Woodrow Construction. He attended the launch to share his experiences with the employers who were interested to find out more about the programme.

Capital Xperience has been designed to provide students with a taste of the construction sector from a variety of seminars, information sessions and site visits. Those who, like Declan, progressed onto a four-week paid summer placement, were required to demonstrate a high level of responsibility, decision making and management skills. Last year more than 100 students applied to take part in the programme and 40 students were selected for a four-week paid summer placement.

Declan commented “Originally I was planning to study medicine and hadn’t really considered a career in construction. Spending time with the team at Taylor Woodrow and being able to ask them about the role of an engineer has given me a really good idea of the profession for myself. In September I am going to Southampton University to study engineering."

John Peters, Construction Youth Trust said "Construction companies should support the Capital Xperience programme. We need the brightest graduates in our industry and we need to show these young people what exciting careers our industry can offer before they make their career choices. They are our future and we should invest in them now.”