Pictured above: Left to right, Back Row: Dave Jones - Wakemans, Laura Curran - Wakemans. Front row: Tamana Uddin - joint winner, Kurt Morris - runner up, Adam Jarvis - joint winner.

National property and construction consultancy Wakemans has judged a product design project at Hall Green School in Birmingham that required Year 9 students to design and build a clock face and stand.

Wakemans senior project manager Dave Jones has been involved with the school for several years assisting with technology projects and revisited the school on Southam Road in Birmingham to judge the students' completed products.

Wakemans enjoys a long association with the School, having taken a key role in redevelopment works to improve the facilities and regularly organises initiatives which put careers in construction under the spotlight.  Each year, during Construction Showcase, (formerly National Construction Week), the consultancy promotes the benefits of working in the industry so that the thirteen and fourteen year olds are better informed about the range of exciting career opportunities available in the construction and property sector.

Dave explains the background to the assignment: "The theme of our last visit was the Olympic Games as the inspiration for the project for the students' clocks."

"I have been extremely impressed with the outcome of this project. It is clear that each and every student has worked very hard on their design and since they needed to consider the environment in which their clocks would function, research into athlete accommodation and the interior design of the various facilities required, for example, it was no easy challenge and was entirely relevant to their work."  

Design and technology teacher Ben Atkinson, who developed the Product Design course assignments, said: "Wakemans has organised some really interesting activities for us over the past few years, including several visits to construction sites and hands on sessions at an independent living centre, all of which gives the students food for thought when making decisions about the kind of work they want to do and the qualifications they will need.

"I have been thoroughly impressed with the students' interest and energy throughout the year on this project and was very keen to invite Mr Jones back to see their achievements for himself." 

Dave presented the lucky winner of the challenge with WH Smith vouchers on behalf of Wakemans."