St Brigid’s Catholic College in Lake Munmorah hosted thirty students from Mackillop and St Peter’s Catholic Colleges for a Careers Day. Paynter Dixon Constructions approached the Diocese with the idea of running a Careers Day after they worked on the construction at St Brigid’s, as a way of giving back to the community. “The objective of the careers day is to link classroom theory about possible careers in the design and construction industry with a live construction site at St Brigid’s,” Matthew Greene, a design architect at Paynter Dixon, said. He also said it was good for students to hear from professionals working in building and construction. “We hope that the students who attended the day were able to gain valuable insights into a real working environment and increase their knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of those delivering the project.” “The excursion showed us a different perspective of the construction industry and the variety of jobs involved.” Josh Irving, a Year Ten student at St Peter’s, said. “It was good to have a discussion about how we can do a job like theirs.” Phil Cox, the Education Officer for Secondary Vocational Learning and Curriculum at the Catholic Schools Office, said that the Careers Day will become a regular event. “Given the success, we are looking to continue with a Careers Day each semester over the next three years,” he said. “The next one will focus on the building design industry which will hopefully encourage our female students to attend as well.”
