A City of York Council-backed project has been abuzz with the sound of York College Painting & Decorating students busy at work
The group have been given hands-on work experience at The Beehive in Acomb by the Council’s Building Services Team, as part of a scheme funded by contractor Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS).
Their responsibilities included repairing damaged walls and repainting living areas, bathrooms and corridors at the facility that provides short overnight breaks for children and young people with complex disabilities in York.
JPS aim to support the next generation of tradespeople through real-life work experience and to provide opportunities on initiatives to improve community resources, such as The Beehive.
The Beehive, which is based on Ascot Way in Acomb, is thought to be one of the first facilities of its kind in the country and provides a range of support services to help disabled children remain with their families and communities.
Offering a variety of benefits to children and young people with autism, learning disabilities and/or additional health needs, The Beehive serves as a safe and accessible space for play and interaction with family members and with staff. In addition, the site offers access to a range of professionals who can help to support families in meeting the children’s needs.
“The pilot aims to give supervised students a real property to bring up to a given standard, with deadlines and feedback on the quality of their work.
“Students from York College’s Painting & Decorating course worked on The Beehive, in Acomb, which provides short breaks for children and young people with complex disabilities. The students repaired damaged walls, repainted living areas, bathrooms and corridors and made that section of the building look like new. Their feedback on the experience is amazing too.
“The long-term aim is to ensure the students engage in and complete their studies and then view City of York Council as an employer they’d like to work for, either through apprenticeships or in a full-time role working in building services.”
Ainsley Fernandes, a York College Painting & Decorating student, said: “The day was well spent working as a team. I enjoyed the work and was proud that I gave 100%. I developed teamwork and communication skills and I’d like to experience other opportunities like these.”
Connor Grassby, another York College Painting & Decorating student, added: “The experience was good. It was nice to be able to be in a real working environment and having to do the best quality work possible. I really enjoyed working there as I feel it helped me to realise what a normal day would be like as a decorator.”
Callum Snowden, a third York College Painting & Decorating student, declared: “The work at The Beehive went well in terms of how much work we got done. I enjoyed being able to get some experience outside of the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed working at The Beehive as everyone there was very polite and friendly.”
The Painting & Decorating students who took part in the pilot are hoped to be the first of many over the coming academic year. The partnership between City of York Council’s Building Services Team and York College aims to provide further real-life work experience and opportunities to share skills and resources across the York community.
Schemes such as this, allow us to work towards a better future in line with The Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of seventeen interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future."
Which of the goals did this project benefit?
To explore our construction curriculum, click here.
For more information on The Beehive, click here.
For more information on The City of York Council, click here.
Learn more about the Global Goals for Sustainable Development here.
