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    Teens learn about sustainability

    Posted 11 March 2011

    Estates Department Project Manager, Terry Hull, describes the sustainable features of the CELT building.

    40 Teenagers from across the West Midlands spent the day learning about sustainability at Harper Adams, yesterday.

    The students were from three different institutions, and visited the University College as part of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Education Business Partnership (EBP)’s ‘Sustainability in Action’ day.

    They are studying either a BTEC in construction or GCSE geography or science and have a genuine interest in the construction industry.

    University College Secretary, Dr Catherine Baxter, welcomed the visitors and outlined the sustainable policies currently in place at Harper Adams.

    This was followed by a health and safety talk from Estates Department Project Manager, Terry Hull, with staff from EBP co-ordinating the event and running construction activities throughout the day.

    The group was then taken to examine the new CELT building and Companion Animal Unit, both of which feature green roofs and other sustainable features.

    Julian Hood, Construction Tutor at Stoke-on-Trent College, said: “A day like today brings the students up to date with environmental issues- things that they may not come across living in an urbanised area.

    “Harper Adams is a great place to come and look at sustainability and hopefully it will inspire them and give them a taste of what life at university is really like.”

    A tractor trailer ride then took the visitors to the new Anaerobic Digester – a unit that uses biological processes to convert organic and food waste into energy.

    Michelle Brockbank, Assistant Head at Oldbury Wells School, Bridgnorth, said: “Our school building dates back to 1958 and is a listed building. Today has shown us what possibilities are out there for a sustainable future.”

    The students were taken on a campus tour in the afternoon, visiting buildings such as the Bamford Library, the new Faccenda Centre, the West Midlands Regional Food Academy, self-catering halls of residence and the main building.

    Adrian Parker, Geography Teacher at Sutherland Business and Enterprise College, Telford, said: “For our pupils, today has been about giving them an idea of what their new school could be like in 2013.

    “It also links into their coursework and gets them out of the classroom.”

    The event went ahead thanks to support from ConstructionSkills, the sector skills council for construction; the Midlands Architecture Centre and Shropshire Construction Training Group.

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