Project Description

Industry: Construction
Programme: Trades Skills Day
Activity Type: Workshops & Skill Building
Businesses involved: Icecream Architecture; Fife College; Fife Council Building Services; Skills Development Scotland; Compass Roofing (NFRC)
Name of School: Levenmouth Academy

Levenmouth Academy, in partnership with Icecream Architecture and a range of construction partners, hosted a Trades Skills Day for 45 senior phase pupils. The day promoted careers in the trades and construction, with sessions tailored both for mainstream pupils interested in construction and for young people in the Enhanced Provision Department who are “furthest from success”. The aim was to promote positive destinations that make use of traditional and modern trade skills. 

 

Collaborative Partners 

• Icecream Architecture – Co-ordinated the event and helped bring together industry and education partners. 

• Fife Council Building Services – Delivered a hands-on stonemasonry session, highlighting traditional construction skills. 

• Compass Roofing (NFRC) – Led a workshop on slate shaping and cutting, showcasing specialist roofing skills. 

• Skills Development Scotland (SDS) – Ran a drone surveying session and reinforced links to STEM and DYW career pathways. 

• Fife College – Provided painting and decorating workshops, focusing on a marble-effect finish and linking to college routes. 

  

Programme Aims 

The Trades Skills Day aimed to: 

• Promote careers in construction and the trades. 

• Give pupils practical experience of traditional and modern trade skills.

• Highlight STEM-linked destinations within the sector, including new technologies like drone surveying. 

• Support pupils, especially those furthest from positive destinations, to explore realistic, positive pathways. 

 

Activity Overview 

On Monday 8th September, pupils rotated through a series of workshops: 

• Stonemasonry with Fife Council Building Services. 

• Slate cutting and shaping for roofing with Compass Roofing (NFRC). 

• Drone surveying with SDS, showing how tech is used in construction. 

• Painting and decorating with Fife College, including a marble-effect finish. 

 

Learners were encouraged to try each activity, ask questions and reflect on the kinds of roles that might suit their skills and interests. Staff noted strong engagement and a willingness from pupils to try new tasks.

Impact and Outcomes 

The Trades Skills Day gave pupils a clearer view of the variety of roles within construction and helped them see that trade careers can be both skilled and rewarding. It also supported those who benefit most from practical learning to experience success in a hands-on environment.

Pupil Feedback 

Pupil voice feedback rated the event 8.2/10 on average, with comments including: 

Ronon – “My favourite thing was getting a chance to experience different jobs and activities.” 

Ben – “I felt the trade skill day event was able to teach me about how different trades work.” 

Macaulay – “I feel it has opened up new possibilities for my future career as the experiences were fun.”