Thanks to great friends, Alex found his future with ISG
Category: Dependency (Parenting & Carers)
Alex charts his success on the course to the variety it brings and the chance to meet construction professionals – ISG attended classes every month, giving him the opportunity to tap into the expertise of its people.
"The course gave me great insight into construction and bridged the gap between class and practice, which helped start my career,” he says. “The well-structured content and collaboration with ISG made progressing from class to site easier than I expected."
The course is clearly reaping rewards – Alex hasn’t looked back since his foray in construction, and now works on site as an Apprentice Quantity Surveyor.
The Level 3 Applied Diploma in Professional Construction Practice (PCP) was one of three A-Levels Alex chose when he joined Wilmington Grammar School in Kent. With Business and History his accompanying subjects, he says the construction-based course encouraged his creative side and offered him a great opportunity – it was a subject he could see a future career in.
“I joined Wilmington because it was a grammar school in my local area and a couple of my friends were going there,” he says. “Having seen the course advertised, I liked what I saw and decided to enrol. It led me to joining ISG and taking on a degree.”
Alex felt some subjects failed to inspire his creativity, but the PCP course gave him the opportunity to express himself.
“I felt subjects like History didn’t bring my creativity out – it’s very matter of fact, black and white,” he explains. “The PCP was different. I wanted to explore my creative side and the course allowed me to do that. I also saw the future potential, which was a big factor for me.”
“ISG came in every month,” he continues. “It was great exposure to the different construction project teams and gave us a great platform to learn from the best. We also met apprentices who were coming to the end of their cycles. They were great as they really dug into their day-to-day work life.”
To deliver the places of tomorrow, the construction industry needs to attract more people with the right skills. That’s why ISG joined forces with awarding organisation, WJEC, in 2018 to develop the UK’s first Level 3 Applied Diploma in Professional Construction Practice (PCP). Equivalent in value to an A-level, the new qualification has proved to be a game-changer for the industry.
The course introduces young people to the standards, techniques, technologies and ethos behind a career in construction. Showcasing new and emerging technologies – such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), drones, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) – in the built environment, the course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive framework of knowledge, understanding and skills.
One thing that stood out to Alex from the start was the huge emphasis on sustainability in construction, something that can perhaps go under the radar to people outside the industry. With a commitment to driving revolutionary change, ISG has pledged to deliver on several targets across a range of sustainability initiatives to come out of its unique Sustainable Buildings Monitor campaign.
To date, over 150 students are currently taking or have completed the PCP course, and ISG works with four schools nationally to actively deliver it. The course is starting to bear fruit – Alex is just one of the course’s alumni to now be working in the industry.
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