Daniel and Penney from Balfour Beatty joined our year 10 Design learners to launch an Employer Led Project aligned the topic ‘Materials and Design’ found on the curriculum. During this project, learners will explore ‘factors to consider when selecting materials for a project/product’ through the perspective of the brief set by Balfour Beatty.   

Balfour Beatty plc is an international infrastructure group based in the United Kingdom who provide construction services, support services and infrastructure investments. They have worked with us across the college throughout this year and been integral in delivering our Employer Led blended learning provision.  

Penney is a graduate contracts engineer- her role involves testing, waste classification, sustainability, resourcing and supplier/client relations. Daniel is a Logistics Graduate. Since joining Balfour Beatty, he has been involved in materials engineering, carbon tracking and logistics.  

After introducing learners to the company, their roles within it and their career pathways, Daniel and Penney introduced the project with a question: Why is there a centre reserve on the motorway? During this discussion, learners contributed well and analysed the importance of this structural feature.  

Learners then discussed the benefits and cons of different central reserves, such as the tension wire rope, Metal VRS and concrete barrier. Following this investigation of different centre reserves currently in use, our visitors outlined the challenge for the learners under the guidelines of Balfour Beatty’s core values of sustainability. 

The challenge set for the learners was to design the future of Safety barriers for the centre reserve of motorways, taking into consideration: 
Material selection 
Effectiveness at preventing crossovers 
Potential damage to vehicle occupants 

'For the year 10 curriculum, learners are required to learn about materials and material selection so that they can use it in year 11 during their Non-Examined Assessment. Learners have worked theoretically at factors affecting the chouce of material such as availability, sustainability, and aesthetic. This project, however, offers learners the opportunity to have these choices applied in a real industry context with the support of an employer,' William, Curriculum Lead Design.

Thanks to Balfour Beatty for introducing and exciting Employer Led Project, where learners can gain a better understanding of the importance of materials in construction. More to follow.