T Level Learners Take on Mace Construction Project

Our year 12 T Level Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction learners undertook an Employer Led project with Mace, where they were set an exciting construction brief that reflected what is seen in industry.  
 
The Brief: A property developer is currently inviting construction companies to tender for a new construction project based in London. The property developer wants a building that is designed for the heart of the borough but at the same time offers a bold design that is original, creative and sustainable. Your construction company are interested in tendering for the work and will have to present a proposal to win the tender. 
 
Our learners were split into teams and tasked with making a sustainable commercial building model. When working in teams to develop their property, learners had to consider social responsibility and sustainability as they sought to balance economic, environmental and social objectives. Our visitors from Mace supported our learners with this by sharing how their company seeks to be more socially responsible whilst also attaining their business objectives and KPI's. As well as offering learners insight into the way a leading construction company approaches a project, this project offered learners the opportunity to meet professionals with different roles across the industry and understand their routes into employment. 

To support our learners through this project, they were invited down to visit one of Mace's construction sites where they enjoyed a tour and masterclass delving into the work Mace are doing.

Whereas Mace talked about the economic, environmental and social considerations for iconic projects such as The London Eye and The Shard, our learners settled with LEGO for bricks, straws as steel beams and lolly sticks for timber for their construction project. They were given a budget of thirty million to buy their materials and each team had to allocate their resources within this budget. Although they were not working with ‘bricks and mortar’, this task required learners to work together to ensure their vision for their construction site could be realised whilst also staying in budget.  
 
Ernestas shared, "This task really helped us to visualise how we want our building to be. Working in a team meant we had to communicate our different ideas to bring them together, whilst considering the brief, our budget and the time constraints. It felt like a real-life construction project!"  


 
Learners then had the opportunity to present their models to our Mace employees for a chance to be crowned the winning company. Following each presentation, learners were given valuable feedback on their pitch and, after much deliberation, the company Cityscape Contractors were voted as worthy winners. Well done to group members Ernestas, Jasmeen, Arnas and Jade! Cityscape Contractors’ design truly encompassed the values of the client. It wasn't just the concept presented but the way that the company demonstrated professionalism and worked well as a team, with each member focused on their area and job role and being able to communicate technical aspects and justify their designs. 
 
“It's been fantastic working with the learners. They have been really engaged and have come up with some brilliant innovative ideas. It's been fun and refreshing for all the volunteers involved to see so many young people enthusiastic about construction,” Daniella Dei, Social Value Manager and facilitator of the project. 
 
Thanks to Daniella and her team of Mace professionals for facilitating such a valuable event. With over 20 hours dedicated to this construction project, our learners gained a comprehensive understanding of both the amazing work that Mace does and what it takes to complete a construction project. 

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