November 2009
Halcrow has scooped the Scottish Government’s Outstanding Partnership Working with Schools award at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s (SCDI) International Awards 2009 for its work with St Roch's secondary school and its linked primary schools in Glasgow.
Regional director of Halcrow in Glasgow, Donald Bell, accepted the “Determined to Succeed”- sponsored award, alongside principal bridge engineer Colin Walker at the glittering SCDI annual dinner held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The event was attended by major clients including Scottish Water, Scottish Power, British Airport Authority and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.
Determined to Succeed has been supporting and encouraging teachers to develop enterprising approaches across the curriculum and set in the context of the world of work. Employer engagement is seen as key to the success of enterprise in education.
Over the last three years Halcrow has worked closely with staff and pupils from the schools, located in some of the city’s most deprived areas, bringing the world of work into the classroom.
One of Halcrow’s main inputs has been the ‘bridge design challenge’. Run by Colin Walker, the project involves primary pupils in all aspects of the bridge design process – from early creations on the drawing board, through to construction.
Pupils have visited high-profile Halcrow bridges in the city, including the Clyde Arc and the Tradeston footbridge. Meetings have been held within Halcrow’s Glasgow office to allow pupils to access computer-aided design technology to fine-tune their structures.
Pupils at St Roch’s have also benefited from a series of Halcrow career information initiatives, mock interviews, enterprise events and visits to the office.
Commenting on the award, Donald Bell said: “This award means a lot to us. It puts Halcrow at the forefront of sustainable community development in Scotland and is the result of the imagination and commitment of people across the office. We are proud to be part of the St Roch’s community and help local young people achieve their potential.”