Construction Students Build on their Skills In Malta

Eight SERC students from Bangor, Lisburn and Downpatrick campuses recently visited Malta on an Erasmus+ international work experience. The students who are studying L3 Adv Tech in Construction Engineering Management or HNC in Construction Engineering Management worked alongside government engineers, quantity surveyors and architects.

Joined by SERC staff Simon Cummings, Joanne Wells, John Nixon and Kyle Mulholland, students Callum Justin Carty, Charles George James Turkington, Sarea Eve Morrison, Levun Murphy, Rhys Cromie, Ben McCabe, Conall Bell and Cristian Briers had a very beneficial two-week education trip. They had the opportunity to learn about local construction projects, materials used, planning processes and how procedures differ from UK standards.  However, it was not all work as they also had the chance to learn a little about the history of the island and participate in various cultural activities.

Erasmus+ provided the funding for this unique opportunity for students to develop their employability skills (T skills) such as communication, teamwork, listening and problem solving as well as widening their technical knowledge and making them aware of international career opportunities.

Simon Cummings Deputy Head of School for Construction, Engineering Services and Skills for Life said “The students had a great experience.  Malta is a beautiful country, the experienced hosts were very helpful and the students sampled a variety of work placements such as quantity surveying, land surveying, restoration and architecture. They visited a number of different construction sites on the island to see the work taking place.

Simon continued, “This trip will help them with their future studies. Although the students came from three different campuses they bonded really well and have made great friends while enjoying a wonderful experience. They took part in cultural tours, language classes, visited Gozo, a waterpark, took part in archery and 10 pin bowling and went to the cinema. Overall a fantastic trip which will be a great experience to talk about at future job interviews helping them stand out from the crowd.”

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