Old Kent Road pupils brush up their employment skills

More than 100 students from Ark Walworth Academy have taken part in workshops on employment skills.

More than 100 fifteen and sixteen year-olds took part in an employment skills programme organised by the Construction Youth Trust.

The Year 12 students, from Ark Walworth Academy (based just off Old Kent Road) participated in talks, exercises and advice sessions which included mock interviews and a careers networking session with people from the construction industry.

The networking activity included representatives from MICA architects, who were recently appointed by Southwark Council to help revive the Folgates Estate site.

In addition to architects from MICA, the pupils met with around a dozen different industry professionals who represented a variety of roles from site managers through to surveyors. The session enabled the young people to learn more about the breadth of opportunity in construction and to talk directly to the professionals about their careers.

The Old Kent Road renewal programme is expected to create 10,ooo new jobs in the area including many opportunities in construction, development and architecture. Through projects like this one and the Southwark Construction Skills Centre, the council hopes that local, young people will be able to play a full role in the development of Old Kent Road both now and in the future.

The Construction Youth Trust is an industry-funded charity that aims to inspire young people about construction and the built environment and help them to realise their potential and discover fulfilling careers.