Staffordshire school pupils were given the chance to try out their skills as construction engineers and building designers in an innovative competition organised by the Staffordshire Partnership and judged by experts from across the industry.

The regional final of the Bridging the Gap competition was held at Stafford Rangers Football Club and involved students between the ages of 11 and 18who are studying vocational courses at South Staffordshire College, Stoke College, Newcastle Under Lyme College and Burton College.

The students were given the task of designing and building a bridge, which had to be strong enough for a remote controlled car to go over and tall enough for a boat to go under.  They were set a time limit and given a budget from which they had to buy all the required tools and materials.

Louise Rutter, Skills Coordinator at the West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence (WMCCE), who sat on the judging panel, said:

“All of the judges were extremely impressed by how well the students worked together, especially considering the different age ranges within each team.  It was great to see the different ideas they came up with as well as their enthusiasm to use the tools and learn new skills.

“It’s important that school children are given the opportunity to see how a career in the construction industry can give you the opportunity to shape the environment in which you live. We were delighted to be involved in this project.”

Each team was marked on their efforts in categories such as teamwork, cost, design and function with two awards up for grabs, one for the overall winner and another for the best design. Yvonne James, Project Manager, said "The construction challenge is a fantastic opportunity for young people of all ages to come together in a team and gain a valuable insight into some of the skills required in the world of work, as they have to  meet very tight deadlines, whilst designing and constructing a bridge. All of the young people were very enthusiastic and took an active part in the challenge whilst having fun."

Judging alongside WMCCE were Lorraine Gregory from Construction Skills and Mike Philo and Jackie Buddan from Seddon Construction.  After much deliberation and totalling up the scores the judges agreed on their choices and awarded first prize to “Bridgetastic” from Burton College.

(Photo - The judges and the winning team)