A Ron Dearing UTC student who aspires to become an architect says work experience with a Hull-based architecture company has opened her eyes to a world of possibilities.
Jess Sanderson completed a three-week placement at Studio Six Architecture.
The company, based in Hull’s Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) tech hub in the heart of the city’s Fruit Market, provides unique and sustainable architecture and creative designs for homes and businesses.
Matt Riley, Director at Studio Six, said: “It was the first time we’d offered work experience to a Ron Dearing UTC student and Jess was great.
“We interviewed eight students who were all very good and they demonstrated their excellent 3D modelling and engineering skills. We immediately knew Jess was very artistic and also excellent in a customer-facing role.
“We gave her some marketing tasks to complete and she came up with various ways we could improve our online and social media presence, so we were able to learn from her too.”
Matt said providing work experience opportunities to young people is imperative as they make decisions about their next steps.
He said: “When I was at school, I was told you couldn’t do an apprenticeship in architecture even though that was the path I wanted to take. I managed to do it anyway and I want to provide that opportunity to other young people.
“You don’t have to follow conventional routes in architecture and you can work for a few years first to see if you like it, or see which area you’d like to specialise in.
“We were as honest as possible with Jess about what’s involved in the day-to-day job because it’s not just about drawing pretty pictures.
“Jess was very enthusiastic, punctual and keen to learn. We would consider further opportunities for Ron Dearing UTC students in the future.”
Jess, 17, who is studying Art and Design and Creative Digital in Year 13 at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “The placement was amazing and the Studio Six team couldn’t have been any more welcoming and helpful.
“They showed me so much and took me on a visit to see what they do when they’re measuring up in people’s homes.
“I completed drawings, write-ups and learnt more about heritage statements, which are needed when you have to ask the council for permission to make certain changes to homes.
“I loved every moment of the placement and I found out more about the technology and software used in the industry. I learnt a lot and it will be great to include on my CV.”
Lisa Regan, Assistant Principal – Horizons Professionalism at Ron Dearing UTC said: “The architecture placement was a very popular one for our students and Matt also offered advice support to the students he wasn’t able to provide a placement for.
“Applicants were asked to interview at C4DI and took along a few examples of work such as drawings, 3D models and sketches.
“It was a brilliant experience for Jess and one which will help her as she plans for her future.”
Ron Dearing UTC students are now securing work experience placements for this summer. Businesses that would like to offer opportunities are asked to email Lisa Regan via lregan@rondearingutc.com