Construction Results 2024

A total of 4,332 hours of training were delivered this year across the region in Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and West London Boroughs in 38 educational settings from mainstream to alternative provision, special needs to pupil referral units. The teaching includes the following qualifications:

• BTEC Award (1 year)
• BTEC Certificate (2 years)
• AQA Unit Awards (2 months+)

We are pleased to report the following results for student achieving qualifications this year:

Open Doors 

Working with the newly formed Surrey Careers Hub we ran two events inviting local schools into Guildford Research Park and Leatherhead Business Park to experience the workplace. Engaging with businesses we offered groups of students the opportunity to engage with companies and employees in the work environment. Giving them the opportunity to learn about the workplace, talk to employees, career paths and employability skills in a variety of companies on each park.

Our thanks goes to KBR, RINA, ipTEST, Surrey Satellite Technology, BAE Systems, Igenomix and Nature Metrics.

• 100% of Leatherhead students felt confident after the visits that they knew what sort of skills employers are interested in compared to 46% before the event.
• 91% of Guildford students felt confident after the visits that they have enough information to make decisions about their future.

Primary Electrics Workshops

With funding from the Ogden Trust we developed and piloted a workshop for primary schools to bring the physics curriculum to life. The workshop was delivered to 832 students in the pilot phase and a further 558 in workshops booked following the pilot.

The topics covered in a series of activities that can be worked on in small groups within a larger class group are: circuits, cells, conductors, motors, light and sound. In addition to which we added a focus on renewable energy.

Senior Problem Solving

We were pleased to be able to return to our full five heats again this year.  They were held across the county:

• St Philomena’s, Carshalton
• Tomlinscote, Camberley
• George Abbot, Guildford
• St Bede’s, Redhill
• St John the Baptist, Woking

We had 44 schools attending with 594 students.

We continued our theme of Sustainability and the UN Sustainability Goals again this year with the theme of Zero Hunger.  The problem was based on a humanitarian challenge.  In the heats the students were asked to move food parcels from one side of a river to another, and in the final the transport of food parcels up a mountain.  Judging again focussed on the use of materials with a focus on reduction, reuse and recycle with scoring reflecting teams ability to consider these fundamental themes.

The final was held at Royal Holloway University and we were able to offer all students a visit round the University giving them an opportunity to see and ask questions.  The final results were:

SATRO STEMfest

STEMfest is an opportunity for schools to bring a group of 12 students in year 8/9. At the start of the event they are asked to open their minds, challenge their perceptions, and ask questions of the industry volunteers. The aim being to support them make those GCSE choices based on real-world experience from a range of STEM industries.

Unlike many large career events each student is carefully timetabled so that they have the time to engage and get hands-on experience. They also engage in an Event Challenge based on a different scenario each year, two 30-minute workshops and the opportunity to visit a selection of company stands who will offer 10 minute activities.

This year our Event Challenge was developed with a close SATRO partner - Ringway, the company responsible for Surrey’s roads. Students were asked to work on a daily challenge for us all - Road Re-Surfacing - it’s design, planning, operational implementation as well as sustainability, new innovations and all important road-user communications.

Workshops this year included coding, biodiversity, code breaking and AI, and electrics. Whilst company stands covered industry sectors from construction to veterinary science, aircraft design to sustainable energy, horticulture to gene editing, the science of measurement to construction.

What an opportunity to learn about the huge variety of careers available many of which face skills shortages.

• 88% of students agreed that they had been introduced to STEM careers they didn't know about,
• 72% said that they had met someone or took part in an activity that changed their attitude to STEM careers

Thank you to all the companies that attended: Balfour Beatty, BCS Berkshire, Boeing, CNOOC, Fluor, Hyster Yale, KPMG, National Physics Laboratory, Milestone, Pirbright Institute, Powercor, RHS Wisley, Ringway, Roke, STEM Learning, Surrey Wildlife Trust, UVEX.

STEM Careers Mentoring

SATRO has been selected as a regional partner in the national STEM Careers Mentoring programme of STEM Learning. This programme offers free online careers mentoring with a focus on schools with high levels of disadvantaged students. Each student is paired with a trained STEM employee to whom they can seek advice on qualifications, careers, apprenticeships, preparing for employment etc. We are currently running the first cohort of students and will be running another two in the next academic year.

Whilst SATRO ran some limited online mentoring during the pandemic this is an opportunity for us to work with STEM Learning and understand the benefits of an online platform for mentoring. We recognise that for students this is now a preferred way of communication whilst also recognising that key skills for work still require face to face interaction.

Construction Festival

Our 2nd Construction Festival saw 145 students from our construction classrooms attending a full day event in Guildford.  They had the opportunity to visit company stands each of which provided an short activity related to their business and pathway workshops showcasing college courses, apprenticeships and employment.  In addition there was an opportunity to take part in  careers speed networking with employees from a wide range of jobs in the industry.  

We were pleased to invite 68 volunteers on the day to inspire the students from 20 different companies.

• 74% agreed they are more aware of how to gain employment within the construction industry after the event,
• 79% met someone or took part in an activity that changed their attitude to construction careers.

Summer Research Projects

Our STEM A-Level Research Project Placement programme has grown from strength to strength since the forced 2020 move online. We now offer both in-person and blended online projects from an ever greater range of STEM industries. The variety and range of professionals at all levels continues to grow, and in summer 2023 we were able to offer international engagement.

The programme involved:

• 19 project providers
• 24 different projects
• 66 students engaged

Projects covered topics ranging from energy transition, digital transformation, molecular farming, hybrid working, climate change, sustainable transport, satellite imagery for conservation, future of TV, visual perceptions, air quality to vitamin supplements.

We would like to thank the companies who provided and supported the students through their projects: ANS, Citizens Advice Guildford, Synamedia, Ringway, Legal & General, Waverley BC, Thakeham Group and Masters students from Exeter University, Willmott Dixon Interiors, KBC Global, University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre and Bioscience Department, Air Products PLC, Super Energy Ltd, Surrey Wildlife Trust, Innovation Agritech Group, WSP.

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