On Friday, industry professionals, educators, and VIPs joined Cumbria Youth Alliance to launch Bridging Horizons; this interactive launch featured elements of the programme that will be used to introduce young people to civil engineering and its various career opportunities. Designed for students in Years 9-12 and young people aged 16-24 who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), the project will bridge educational gaps and introduce participants to a wide range of career opportunities in this critical field.
Becky Wolstenholme, CEO of Cumbria Youth Alliance said, “Through the hard work and dedication of all our staff and particularly for this programme, Kim Kimberlee-Smith has worked tirelessly to pull this fantastic programme together, with so many amazing partners, which of course would not have been possible without the support of The Benny Walker Charitable Trust. I am excited to watch how this wonderful programme will develop and most certainly positively impact the lives of many young people and local businesses by providing an improved locally skilled workforce, benefitting our local economy and local communities”.
Building the Da Vinci Bridge
Bridging Horizons offers a unique, six-session programme that combines practical problem-solving, career exploration, and hands-on learning through tailored support and collaboration with schools, industry professionals, and community stakeholders. The project will also include a specialised in-house program for homeschooled young people and those not currently engaged in formal education for a variety of reasons. The six-session curriculum that evolves annually to build skills, knowledge, and career readiness will revolve around core elements that will be upskilled year on year:
- Introduction: What is Bridging Horizons, and what is Civil Engineering?
- Practical challenges embracing engineering terminology and problem-solving.
- Bridging the gap – a design for life, communication skills via arts and drama.
- Visiting day of 6 industry professionals with a Q&A panel session.
- A school trip/visit to see civil engineering in practice/in progress/finished
- A Positively You Quiz – to round up the whole year group programme to assess where the pupils are now, where they wish to go and how they are getting there.
- 10 minutes of well-being skills feature in each session.
- Young person's feedback and school feedback, monitoring and evaluation.
- One-to-one support throughout the year.
Alongside the core elements, participants will have access to special topics such as:
- Women in Engineering and equity in the field.
- Sustainable technologies, climate change, and renewable energy.
- Insights into apprenticeships, college courses, and alternative pathways.
- Emerging trends, including hydrogen technology, AI, and augmented reality modelling.
Homeschooled young person engaging in civil engineering activity.
Bridging the Gap Between Education and Industry
With support from the Benny Walker Charitable Trust, Cumbria Youth Alliance is committed to addressing gaps in STEM education by creating opportunities for young people to learn directly from professionals and experience the impact of civil engineering on their communities.
Lisa Ingram, Operational Excellence Director for Sir Robert McAlpine said, “Sir Robert McAlpine are supporting Bridging Horizons because we know how important it is to give young people the best possible chance of success in life. Our future workforce will come from the local community and by helping build awareness of the fantastic opportunities a career in civil engineering can offer we can really make a difference to the lives of people in West Cumbria.”
How to get involved
Schools, educators, and young people interested in participating in Bridging Horizons are encouraged to visit https://www.cya.org.uk/projects/bridging-horizons or contact Kim Kimberlee-Smith via kim@cya.org.uk
Together, through Bridging Horizons, Cumbria Youth Alliance aims to empower the next generation of innovators, builders, and problem-solvers who will shape the future of civil engineering.