Teacher:
Also means that it‘s safer, that we can pick the jobs where the kids are not going to be hurt or in danger. They don’t work at heights, for example. They wouldn’t be on a building site. But there are particular projects where, actually a bit like this, where they are indoors, it’s pretty safe and it’s more controlled than that it would otherwise be. So, yeah, the vocational opportunities are very much what we’re all about within the building trade.
Interviewer:
Then, of course, the four ace capacities are ticking a lot of those boxes as well I suppose.
Teacher:
It ticks a lot of boxes and also the chance to meet other people. Its not an abstract concept. You know that you are actually meeting real customers. If Mrs McGlumphy wants a shelf fitted you’ve also got to be nice to her as well as fitting the shelf.
Interviewer:
There is a responsibility towards the customer as well I suppose.
Teacher:
Absolutely, and one thing our boys learn is things like joiners need to be able to count. There is never a joiner made money if they couldn’t count. So there is a cross-curricular link with their maths, their language skills, communication skills. It makes not just technical more attractive to them, we believe that it makes all the other subjects more relevant and attractive to them as well. You will see the sort of subtle things like labelling and that’s just to prove to hopefully the audience that the boys know what each of these things are and we are hoping that will prompt people to say “What does that bit do?”. You are constantly we label everything back at the workshop. The tools are all labelled so that they are practising the language of technical which is often quite strange. There are strange names for things, like dwangs and all that kind of thing.
Interviewer:
I hope they are not learning the language of the building sites are they?
Teacher:
It’s a good question actually. I know you meant it as a joke but we actually have to be careful about the role models. That’s vital and, you know, the guys like Martin there, that’s something we pay a lot of attention to - good role models, especially male role models too.
Interviewer:
Sure sure, ok. Well, I believe we are going to see a double-glazed unit being put together, so we can a wee look at this.
So, what are you going to show?
Teacher 2:
We’re going to make up a double-glazed window for the frame that’s being built in for next door for the house. What we’ve got is a PVC frame here so what we’re going to make up is the double-glazed window to fit inside that. Got a couple of wee samples here with me. This just lets you see what’s inside and what’s involved. You’ve got a desiccant which works as an accelerator. If the glass is misting up between it, it draws out the kind of condensation and stuff. And this is the outside seal. When that goes and that goes, that means you have a complete failed unit and that is when you are wanting to phone us to come and replace it for you, you know. So I’m going to do a quick demonstration of how to make up one of these.
Interviewer:
This is clearly something that you know what to do, Alex. But the kids, it’s important that they can learn how to do something like this as well.
Teacher 2:
Exactly. What we are doing is trying to give them as much as we can, you know, as much experience and stuff like that. Obviously, some of the boys are more interested in the woodworking skills rather than doing this but we’ve got two or three who are really keen on this. So I’ve got a young chap here, Charlie ,who is going give us a wee hand out.
Interviewer:
I will let you get on with it, good man.
I suppose there is an element as well, a safety aspect of dealing with glass and pupils .
Teacher 2:
One of the things we paid particular attention to before we came today was to draw up a really good risk assessment following on from what I said about the safety. This is obviously an activity where they could damage themselves. So Alex would cut the glass. The older boys - Charlie is a third year boy - but some of the older boys would be allowed to cut the glass. You will see a lot of the components there. Basically, what Alex is going to do is make a sandwich of two pieces of glass with a spacer between it. Charlie is young and he’s probably not done this all that often, but the older boys could do that probably on their own. The cleanliness element is critical. You know, you don’t want to make this up and then find there is a bit of dirt inside. The whole thing is pointless then.
Interviewer:
I suppose there is a responsibility, you know, for the older kids if you are letting them cut glass. You’re letting them do things like that. They are learning things they would have to do on the site as well.
Teacher 2:
One of the things on the lesson plan for today, if you like, was the boys encounter the materials having to be square, having to be plumb, having to be level. And this is a constant theme. You know, the walls have to be plumb, the floor has to be level and Alex is making sure that the glass is square. Again that wouldn’t fit the window. You know, it could be a lovely unit, but if it is parabolic, sorry if it’s a sort of, a sort of trapezoid or something like that, it is not going to fit the frame, you know. So he’s got to make it work, you know.
Interviewer:
That’s one of the things that all the houses I have every lived in are old houses. They are never square, never plumb, and, anytime any workmen come to the house, they’re always complaining about the walls.
Teacher 2:
These pieces of metal are actually spacer bars and Alex is going to make up a frame now that will be exactly the same size, slightly smaller actually than the glass that he’s cut and that is the meat in the sandwich between the two bits of glass.
Interviewer:
Can we get a wee shot of what Charlie is doing over there?
Teacher 2:
Inside the spacer bars we’ve put a chemical. Its called a desiccant and that sucks out all the moisture between the glass so that obviously it’s going to stay clear. If you didn’t have that in there, the moisture would just form inside.
Interviewer:
I’m sure a few people in the past have got double-glazing units in the past that have been full of condensation and its pretty ineffective in that respect.
Teacher 2:
On the other side of our business, that’s actually an important part of what we do. If it was a new build situation and hundreds of these were being produced, they wouldn’t come to us. But, quite often, you will have one conservatory window that needs done or one window in a bespoke situation, and its cheaper to come to us to have it made than go to a big manufacturer. So the boys can see the enterprise element of it as well.
Interviewer:
And they will also see the potential if it is wrong for customers coming back.
Teacher 2:
Yeah. We give a year’s guarantee and, if its eleven months and thirty days when it blows, then you’ve got to fix it. Its all part of what we do.