How to make industry taster days more impactful

Having worked in social value for a number of years, I’ve come to understand the power of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals – and in the Hertfordshire Cornerstone Employer Construction Sub-Group, we all want to make a positive impact.

Following discussions amongst ourselves and our supply chain networks, we identified that many organisations in our sector face difficulties scouting the latest talent and building connections within education.

So, we all committed to the idea of partnering with local colleges to organise meaningful skills-sharing sessions during the school holidays – an ongoing project that developed into our ‘Construction Taster Days’. 

​​​Make it practical and interactive 

Our first Taster Day was a dual offering: learning bricklaying in the morning, then carpentry in the afternoon. Since then, we’ve held sessions focusing on groundwork, dry lining, electricals, plumbing and management. The age ranges vary, but they’re typically designed for Year 10 and above. 

Health and safety makes it difficult to include hands-on tasks during conventional work experience, which is why our sessions are held at colleges, where manual tasks can be replicated in a pre-regulated space. That said, we still insist everybody wears the correct PPE during a Taster Day. By supplying hard hats, goggles, gloves, boots and high visibility vests, we ensure that young people receive a true impression of the industry’s day-to-day physicality. 

Make it aspirational and inspirational  

To provide even more insight, visiting subcontractors speak openly about what they look for in potential employees and even how much money can be earned – often bringing in current apprentices to share their experiences. Having that chance to hear from another young person who’s just entered the sector is vital, as it proves how rewarding these pathways could be for those in attendance. 

Simply being able to conduct these conversations with employers, apprentices or even their fellow attendees is motivational in itself for young people. Communicating in both formal and informal ways on professional topics grows their confidence, and gives them the reassurance that they’ll thrive in the world outside of school – whatever career they ultimately pursue. 

Make it employer-led and collaborative

Even though we operate in a competitive industry, every member of the construction sub-group is working towards the same goal: creating a welcoming space for the tech-native generations, who can in turn inject diverse thought and new skill sets into the sector.   

That’s why we’re comfortable sharing our resources and our collective reputations to spearhead change from multiple angles – whether that’s expanding the local talent pool, involving smaller construction businesses, or building closer relationships with colleges. We know that some of the Taster Day benefits might not impact us directly, but they will make a difference to our local community and the future of our industry.  

Get involved 

Our next step is to put on events during term-time, which should elevate the scale and reach of the sessions. That means more attendees, more contractors, more supplies – but hopefully a bigger impact as well. The best thing about interactive engagement like this is how it allows you to showcase your industry in the way you want it to be seen, and that’s possible for any sector. 

You don’t have to be the biggest employer with boundless resources to organise your own Taster Day; with the Careers Hub and Cornerstone Employers, there’s already plenty of support in place. What you do need is a collaborative spirit and a willingness to put your best foot forward – because if we all strive to promote the breadth of opportunities in our respective sectors, we can drive social and economic growth for everyone.  

A blog by Norma Odain-Hines, Senior Social Value Manager at Morgan Sindall Construction

Members of the Hertfordshire Cornerstone Employer Construction Sub-Group: