Doors open for Derry construction students

Students from the North West Regional College studying on the '˜Skills for Work' course have been given the opportunity to experience life on a working building site in Creggan.
North West Regional College Skills for Work students with Marie Ferguson, Procurement and Marketing Manager, BW Homes & Construction Ltd; John Cartin, Curriculum Manager for Construction NWRC; Bernie Doherty, Employment Liason Officer NWRC; Aaron Proctor, Project Manager BW; Sean McWilliams, Site Manager, BW and Niall Donaghy, Site Manager, EHA during a recent site visit to the BW Homes & Construction Ltd's Magowan Park site in Creggan as part of the colleges work based learning projects.North West Regional College Skills for Work students with Marie Ferguson, Procurement and Marketing Manager, BW Homes & Construction Ltd; John Cartin, Curriculum Manager for Construction NWRC; Bernie Doherty, Employment Liason Officer NWRC; Aaron Proctor, Project Manager BW; Sean McWilliams, Site Manager, BW and Niall Donaghy, Site Manager, EHA during a recent site visit to the BW Homes & Construction Ltd's Magowan Park site in Creggan as part of the colleges work based learning projects.
North West Regional College Skills for Work students with Marie Ferguson, Procurement and Marketing Manager, BW Homes & Construction Ltd; John Cartin, Curriculum Manager for Construction NWRC; Bernie Doherty, Employment Liason Officer NWRC; Aaron Proctor, Project Manager BW; Sean McWilliams, Site Manager, BW and Niall Donaghy, Site Manager, EHA during a recent site visit to the BW Homes & Construction Ltd's Magowan Park site in Creggan as part of the colleges work based learning projects.

The students recently visited BW Homes & Construction Ltd’s Magowan Park housing estate on the site of the former St Peter’s School site.

The students were given the opportunity to discuss with BW management and EHA Construction representatives how the Magowan Park project has progressed. This was followed by a tour of the construction site, including the completed homes ready for hand over to Apex Housing Association.

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To mark their visit, the students planted a shrub-bed at the entrance to the site.

The construction of the 127 new social houses and apartments began in October 2014, and the last set of units is expected to be handed over this month. The students, who are undertaking courses such as brick work, joinery, plumbing and welding, were given a practical insight into the type of work their training can lead to once qualified.

John Cartin, Curriculum Manager for Construction at NWRC said: ‘The College has a great working relationship with local employers such as BW Homes & Construction Ltd. I’m grateful to them for inviting our students here today to experience life on a real construction site and to also see the finished product.

‘Our students are trained to a high level to enable them to gain skills required to work within industries such as construction. Seeing the level of perfection required in building houses as demonstrated here at Magowan Park, BW Homes & Construction Ltd, should give them further aspiration to perfect their skills.”

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BW and Braidwater Ltd are an expanding family businesses based in Eglinton, which specialise in commercial and residential regeneration projects.

Marie Ferguson, Procurement & Marketing Manager, with BW Homes & Construction, said that when the Magowan Park project finishes, Braidwater/BW Homes & Construction Ltd will have delivered more than 1,100 new social homes in Derry over the last 15 years and look forward to their next upcoming developments.

Bernie Doherty, Employment Liaison Officer, NWRC; Aaron Proctor, Project Manager BW; Sean McWilliams, Site Manager, BW and Niall Donaghy, Site Manager, also helped facilitate the students during their visit.