CASE STUDY 12 CLASS OF YOUR OWN AND THE DESIGN ENGINEER CONSTRUCT! LEARNING PROGRAMME

Operating throughout the UK, Class Of Your Own Limited (COYO) is a social business founded in 2009 by land surveyor Alison Watson to provide sector specific education resources for secondary schools.

Alison recognised the need for a major overhaul of built environment qualifications whilst working on the Building Schools for the Future programme. She met hundreds of young people and teachers as she was surveying school sites and found many had very little understanding of the technical and professional careers in the Construction industry. She set about writing a whole new curriculum believing that, if taught in the classroom as a respected, academically focused standalone subject, the digital built environment could be perceived as the most exciting industry in which to work.

Now one of the most respected programmes for young people backed by Academia and industry alike, the "Design Engineer Construct!" Learning Programme (DEC) is taught in schools across the UK and offers equivalency to GCSE and A levels in England and Wales, and SCQF level 4 and 6 in Scotland.

Critically, DEC is complemented by the groundbreaking 'Adopt A School' programme which provides each school with targeted employer support. Not only does this offer the technical input of highly skilled professionals to teachers and learners, it provides employers with access to a home grown talent pipe of digitally skilled, work ready, enthusiastic young people. DEC offers academic and high value apprentice routes into industry, with recent 16 year old graduates securing placements with top employers, including during sixth form study. DEC is attracting girls and boys from all backgrounds and cultures, and as such, is included in the Scottish Government's Gender Action Plan, and features in the UK Construction 2025 Industrial Strategy.

For more information about the DEC programme, visit: http://designengineerconstruct.com

Design Engineer Construct!