Pictured above: Students from Hall Green School (l-r)
Adil Farook, Aiza Mubashir, Rosie McAllum, Katie Sheard, Latisha
Mahmood, Chris Edwards, Tehreem Ali
National property and construction consultancy Wakemans has
judged the final submissions from students at Hall Green School for
a 2009/10 Product Design project that challenged the teenagers to
design and manufacture either a clock or a mood light.
Dave Jones, a senior project manager with Wakemans helped to
launch the initiative as part of Wakemans commitment to careers
education in the construction industry.
Prizes were awarded to Year 9 students George Tursely and Chris
Edwards for their respective creations of a desk clock and 'LED
mood light'.
Mr Jones said: "The level of creativity and imagination shown
was outstanding, and all the students performed really well.
Judging was very hard"
The students were tasked with considering the requirements of
the end user from an architecture and design perspective and
investigating a variety of design sources before coming up with an
original and creative product.
Wakemans' links with the school go back many years: the
consultancy played a lead role in redeveloping its facilities to
make wide-ranging improvements, especially for students with
disabilities. The firm also organises a variety of initiatives
which aim to put the spotlight on the construction sector and
highlight the broad range of job opportunities available.
"The students had to imagine they were working for a new hotel
chain and were required to take into consideration form and
function in the built environment," says Mr Jones. "I also
assessed their designs for suitability in the surroundings and
whether the overall product was fit for purpose, and was very
impressed with the different ways in which they met the brief.
To help the thirteen and fourteen year olds make an informed
choice about which direction they want to take, Mr Jones gave them
advice on the qualifications required for a career in construction,
outlined the different entry routes and provided information on the
Wakemans training scheme, which incorporates sponsorship for
school-leavers.