Teaching and learning in the digital construction sector in Yorkshire has been given a boost as Leeds College of Building has signed up BAM Construction as a sponsor.

The College helps to deliver the award winning Design Engineer Construct! (DEC) learning programme in schools and sixth form centres through the national ‘Adopt A School’ programme.

BAM employs around 175 people in the region plus around a thousand sub-contractors from its office based in Thorpe Park.

“I have seen this scheme in action and it is a great way of widening and diversifying the talent pool for the industry by catching the imagination of youngsters who would not normally see construction as a career for them at a young age. We hope to inspire teachers and students to explore the range of top STEM professions, especially given we’re operating in a sector that is so technologically advanced.”

John Phillips

Regional Director for BAM Construction North East

The DEC learning programme offers an academic, cross curricular approach to project based learning, and particularly focusing on real world applications of maths, science and English. It provides qualifications for young people who aspire towards a career in architecture, engineering and construction. Pupils can study DEC from Year 7 through to Year 13 and progress into university, thanks to UCAS points for the Level 3 qualification, and also access a wide range of advanced and higher apprenticeships with BAM and other globally recognised leading AEC companies.

BAM’s involvement with the DEC programme came via creators Class of Your Own (COYO), an organisation that encourages ‘school adoption’ by industry, and the contractor now joins the likes of Jacobs, Mott MacDonald, Arup and Aecom.

BAM is behind many multi-million pound schemes in Leeds and across the region, including the north east of England. The organisation is currently building Sheffield Retail Quarter and the new offices for Leeds City Council, Merrion House, and is behind scores of recent buildings such as Huddersfield Leisure Centre.