Civil Engineering Students Visit Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction
On 17th January 2024 a group of first year civil engineering students from Nottingham Trent University visited the Laing O’Rourke Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction (CEMC), just outside of Worksop.
This is a state-of-the-art centre specialising in offsite manufacturing for the construction sector, as well as acting as a hub for research and innovation for Laing O’Rourke – one of the UK’s leading Tier 1 contractors.
Students were treated to a tour of the manufacturing facility, with a full explanation of the innovative, cutting edge practices on show. They saw how concrete components go from concept all the way through to being poured, finished and shipped to flagship projects around the country, including London Olympia and the new Everton football stadium.
The students had the chance to develop key employability skills, such as team building, communication and leadership, through practical challenges. For instance, they worked as small teams to build a Bailey bridge using a mix of technology options, all overseen by Laing O’Rourke experts and NTU staff. There was time for reflection on what we’d learned and to ask questions at the end of the day before heading back to Nottingham.
The students commented on how valuable this experience was for them and that they felt more confident to express themselves and develop for the future.
David Russhard, Principal Lecturer said “We are so thankful to have incredible industry links like this on the civil engineering courses here at NTU. These kinds of experiences are vital to build the skills and knowledge needed for the engineers of tomorrow. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Laing O’Rourke for their time and effort in putting together such a fantastic visit for us.”