Construction Skills Chairman Goes Back To School On Cowlin Site

The Welsh Division of Cowlin Construction, welcomed the Chairman of Construction Skills, Sir Michael Latham, to the Welsh Investment Strategic Partnership (WISP) development on Lower Dock Street in Newport to showcase the training and community involvement initiatives that have been practiced on this site.

Sir Michael Latham, together with members of Construction Skills Strategic Partnership Panel, met with the project manager and staff to get an understanding of the work that has been ongoing with pupils from St Michaels primary and Duffryn Secondary school particularly.

Sir Michael was shown the new health and safety induction that the pupils pulled together using cartoons to illustrate key health and safety issues. The visitors were also shown the miniature model that was erected in the site office, and was updated throughout different stages to help the children understand the various processes involved on a building site.

The WISP development is a programme set up to deliver over 35,000m2 of grade A office accommodation throughout Wales over the next 10 years, for the Welsh Assembly Government.

David Harris, Divisional Managing Director of Cowlin’s Welsh Division said: “The Newport development is the second WISP project that we at Cowlin have worked on in the past 12 months, as construction partners to Babcock and Brown. It has been excellent that the project manager, Gareth Lewis has involved children from local schools in the build process, it has helped make pupils more aware of what happens beyond the construction site walls and raises the whole profile of the building industry.”

Speaking after visiting the site, Sir Michael Latham believes that such educationally led initiatives should be encouraged across the industry. He said: “What Cowlin have achieved on this one site alone has potentially attracted more than 20 pupils to consider a career in the construction industry. There has been a great amount of innovative thinking around the development and Cowlin have proved that the site can remain commercially effective even by taking time to engage and interact with the local community.”

The development, which was handed over in December 2008, includes 48,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation and is valued at £7.8 m. The purpose of WISP is to provide an efficient development structure for the Welsh Assembly Government using private finance, aiming to encourage private sector development and investment into Wales.

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