The visit began with a short introduction to the roles of Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor, helping students understand how these professionals plan, manage, and cost construction projects.

Students were then split into two teams and tasked with designing and costing their own eco-friendly school. Working collaboratively, they considered sustainability, design features, and budgets to develop their proposals. Each team presented their project to a panel of five Ward Williams staff members, who acted as clients and asked questions about the designs, costs, and overall vision.

The Ward Williams team were extremely impressed with the quality of the students’ ideas, presentations, and costings. Both teams produced strong concepts, with elements that could easily have been a winning pitch. Students thoroughly enjoyed taking on different roles within their teams and experiencing what it might be like to work on a real-life construction project.

Stephen said, “It was amazing to see how a real construction project works. I loved working in a team to design our eco-friendly school and presenting it to the experts - it really made me think about a career in construction.”

The visit provided an excellent opportunity for students to develop teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, while gaining a practical understanding of careers in the construction industry.