If your teenage children are still unsure about a career path, a new course offered by the Buildings Department might open their eyes to the possibilities in the engineering, renovation and construction industry.
The department recently launched the Building Safety Pioneer Programme. The one-year course allows secondary school students to learn about building safety and how to disseminate building safety messages to the public.
About 50 participants recently inspected old buildings in Kwun Tong to see the results of building rehabilitation. With the help of experts, the students used specialised equipment to distinguish the different kinds of walls used in buildings.
Safety significance
Secondary Four student Heather Wong once lived in an old building. She said after the site visit, she understood more about the building-safety issue.
"If maintenance is not done well there will be lots of problems, like water seepage and spalling."
Buildings Department Technical Services Chief Officer Clarice Yu said site visits are a better learning experience for students than lectures.
"I think understanding the concept of building safety is not easy. You cannot just learn by reading a book or through a PowerPoint presentation. They have to actually go out and look at the buildings themselves. They have to talk to different stakeholders. So we arrange these programmes so they can actually get a very close contact with our partners."
The department arranges for students to visit architects, engineers and surveyors to learn about their work. Secondary Five student Wing Kong said the sharing sessions allowed him to learn more about himself.
"I have not thought about my career or what subject to study in university. After learning more about an engineer’s job and listening to their experiences, I have a clear direction and hope to further develop in this aspect."
Dramatic licence
Other activities include a three-day drama camp. Students work with an arts group to learn how to stage drama performances.
Under the guidance of drama coaches the youngsters write and rehearse their own performance pieces.
They stage shows at various places, including elderly-care centres and schools, and will also perform at Building Safety Week 2016 from April 16 to 22.
Secondary Three student Jenna Fok and her team wrote a script warning of the dangers of hanging items from windows.
"We want to remind people not to hang clothes and other materials from the window because if it cannot bear the weight it can fall down and hurt somebody."
Now in its second year, the Building Safety Pioneer Programme has 50 students enrolled in its latest course.
The Buildings Department will continue to run the programme, which has been welcomed by both students and schools, and has proven to be a good way to disseminate the building safety message.
