Pupils from Ellesmere Park High School in Eccles learned all about the elements of sustainable planning during a careers talk by Wain Estates.
As part of National Careers Week, Natalie Webster and Amelia Lewin spoke about their roles as a associate planning and development director and a land buyer with the Warrington based strategic land company.
They then tasked the Year 9 class with designing their own community masterplan for a large development site and Natalie said: “They were really engaged with the whole process and it was fascinating to see them consider all the different elements needed when planning for a large site, from new roads and sewers to how people will travel to offices and homes.
“The entire class had really thought about what they would like to see, how it would fit in with the surrounding area and even how long it would take to build.
“They were also keen to confidently share their visions with us and with their classmates.
“Educating young people about how communities can expand and grow is important and we want them to be as involved as possible. We didn’t just explain what we do–we highlighted the many different roles involved in development from planning and design to marketing.
“Hopefully they were as inspired as we were and we helped encourage some future development talent.”
Halima Farooq, Business & Employer Engagement Officer for Consilium Academies, said: “At Ellesmere Park High School, we are proactively engaging with employers to enrich our careers curriculum and provide students with real-world insights into the world of work. We are always delighted to welcome companies in and talk about job roles and careers. Actually meeting people and seeing how the roles work in practice is hugely inspirational for the pupils and we are grateful to Wain Estates for providing such an entertaining and illuminating insight.”
