We recently partnered with RNN Group and Banner Plant to host an inter-college construction competition at Rotherham College, giving local students the chance to compete for a week-long placement on a live HBC construction site.
The competition, which took place on 28 January, saw around 30 students from Rotherham College, Dearne Valley and North Notts College compete across five categories – Brickwork, Joinery, Plumbing, Electrical Installations and Multi-Skill Construction – with winners crowned in each category.
Each winning student was offered a week-long placement on site with HBC, giving them the opportunity to experience real-world applications of some of the skills they showcased during the competition.
It was fantastic to collaborate with RNN Group and Banner Plant on this competition, building an environment where future construction professionals could show their talents. At HBC, social value sits right at the heart of everything we do. Creating meaningful opportunities for young people to learn, develop and see a future for themselves in construction is incredibly important to us. By working collaboratively with education and industry partners, we’re proud to support the next-generation entering construction and help develop the skills the sector needs, both now and in the future.”
Kate Nelson, Social Value Coordinator
Our Managing Director, Lee Powell, opened the competition with a speech to students about the opportunities for young people in the construction industry, the purpose of the competition and encouraging the students to have fun.
We’re absolutely delighted by the opportunity that this type of event provides for our students. At the RNN Group and across our campuses we set high expectations and high aspirations for our students. But we recognise that it’s more than a qualification and we want our students to rub shoulders with influential people in order to raise aspiration and develop skills and most certainly today they are, both with HBC and Banner Plant and we’re delighted it’s a really strong partnership. It is an Employer Academy, but it’s much more than that.
Tracey Mace-Akroyd, Deputy CEO/Principal at RNN GroupJudges, representing HBC and supply chain partners, HEB Group and Barn Oak Developments, reviewed approximately 45 number of applicants from across RNN Group to select the 30 finalists who took part.
This competition is a wonderful example of creating practical learning opportunities to give students real insight into how the construction industry operates. We’re proud to have been involved in the organisation process and we were pleased to see the students getting stuck in on the day.
Hayley Mayes, Key Account Manager at Banner Plant
This collaboration builds upon our ongoing partnership with RNN Group, which has seen us establish an ‘Employer Academy’. As part of this initiative, we contribute to curriculum development through educational talks, hosting mock interviews and site visits.
Since its launch, the Academy has supported over 200 students, helping them build practical skills and explore career pathways in construction. This competition aims to provide these students with real work experience and a personalised, one-on-one view of the construction industry, which will help them in their future career pathways.
