Construction bosses gathered last night to commit to a sixth form work placement scheme known as the 2009 Capital Xperience.
Capital Xperience aims to encourage students in full-time post-16 education at schools and colleges within the five 'Olympic Host Boroughs' (Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest) to pursue a career in construction. They will gain paid work experience in the construction industry during a four week summer placement.

The programme is run by the Construction Youth Trust which has a target of 50 students to be accommodated this year. Bosses attending the event at the Land Securities Gallery in London, were urged to back the programme and offer placements for August 2009. On the night bosses committed of offering 16 placements.

Almost all the students involved in the programme will be midway through their sixth-form, studying for 'A' Levels. The students are given two weeks of intensive 'pre-placement' training, which includes taking the ConstructionSkills Health & Safety test. Construction bosses then select the students they want to interview for the work.

Declan Kiernan was one of the students who made it onto last year's competitive work experience programme and secured a four-week paid summer placement with Taylor Woodrow Construction.

Declan said 'Originally I was planning to study medicine and hadn't really considered a career in construction. Spending time with the team at Taylor Woodrow and being able to ask them about the role of an engineer has given me a really good idea of the profession for myself. In September I am going to Southampton University to study engineering.'

John Peters, Construction Youth Trust said: 'Construction companies should support the Capital Xperience programme. We need the brightest graduates in our industry and we need to show these young people what exciting careers our industry can offer before they make their career choices'.

The scheme is funded by the London Development Agency.

If you are a construction business and interested in offering work experience placements to Capital Xperience students contact Mark Bennett or call 020 7227 4562.