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On the first week of July, The Trinity Road Primary School embarked on their journey to Plowman Craven for their World of Work day trip!
We boarded the coach and soon had requests for the children’s favourite song : Old Town Road by Lil Nas. The Yes Futures team are very familiar with the lyrics by now, as we had it played on repeat for the entire coach journey too and from our Into The Wild residential.
Upon arriving at Plowman Craven, the children were riddled with excitement as they were astonished by the impressive building and the various types of people working throughout the offices.
Then it was down to work and understanding a bit more about the company that so kindly welcomed us on our World of Work day.
Alison, a Plowman Craven representative, gave us an overview and explained that Plowman Craven is one of the largest surveying companies in the UK. They work with designers as well as architects, and furthermore are instrumental in building the London Skyline.
Much to the student's surprise, they began to inquire about P.C.'s involvement in various structures around the UK. After naming several of the most significant buildings in London, such as The Shard, Wembley Stadium and The O2, Alison confirmed that Plowman Craven have been involved in all of those projects.
Alison went on to explain that they also work below ground, by measuring railways and tunnels, with the added responsibility of ensuring that the tube network doesn’t collapse when there is so much building work going on overhead.
So, not only does Plowman Craven make it possible for all the amazing buildings to actually get built, they keep us safe too. Impressive, hey !!
After this conversation, we then reached the technical part of the discussion.
It is here that Alison introduced the concept of UAVs. They are “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” apparently, or “drones” to you and me. These drones use photography and lasers to map out places and objects. They have the ability to reach even the most inaccessible, hazardous and large-scale sites using the latest drone technology. The children listened with interest and asked great questions.
We then got to know each other better through Speed Networking. The children were able to ask the staff a variety of questions. Jason* wanted to know what Michael* wanted to be when he was 15 (racing car driver), while Shanice* was keen to understand what advice he would give his younger self (spend a long time looking at all the different opportunities in the world when starting out in his career, and take time choosing the right one). Rachel* asked Helena*, the P.C. representative, about her first job (she sold fruit and veg on a market stall, which helped increase her confidence) and Jessica* wanted to know her top tips for getting a good job (being enthusiastic and, and trying new things which helped get her noticed).
Other questions that were asked by the students included:
- "How did you get your job?"
- "What is your typical day like?"
- "What do you dislike about your job?"
- "What was your first job?"
We then had the opportunity to see how an RTC 360 3D Laser Scanner actually works. We were able to control it ourselves using iPads, and we tagged images of ourselves. We were then able to measure how tall we were from the images and locations recorded.
A lovely lunch was provided, with sandwiches, crisps and drinks, and there was a lot more chatting.
The fun continued with games demonstrating the importance of team work and communication. We had to throw a ball to each other, and see how we could complete the task in the same order sequence each time, but get faster and faster.
It took us 10 seconds the first time. Alexis* suggested we could all move in closer, and we then completed the task in 8 seconds. Maggie* suggested that we all moved positions, so we could pass the ball in a clockwise direction, instead of throwing the ball across to each other. It was a great idea as we could now complete the task in 6 seconds. Henry* wanted us to use one hand only to transfer the ball to the next person, Brady* suggested we kneel down and Jayden* thought it would be quicker if we just touched the ball and rolled it along the floor to the next person, instead of passing. By brainstorming our ideas together, and listening to each others ideas, we were able to complete the task in only 3 seconds. What an opportunity to witness our students showcasing their Communication Talent!
It was then time to leave and head home again. The children had a fun day and learnt lots. The journey home was much quieter now.
Thank you to everyone at Plowman Craven for looking after us so well.
*The names of students and employees have been changed to protect their identity.
To find out more about how your students could get involved with the Yes Futures Programmes, please contact Sophie, Impact Manager: sophie@yesfutures.org, 07908 687779 or visit our website.
If you're interested in becoming a World of Work partner, please contact Helena, Head of Programmes: helena@yesfutures.org.