Our teams in the North West and South East of Scotland work with schools to deliver interactive workshops that showcase the diverse range of roles within civil engineering, helping students understand how their classroom learning can be applied in real life to shape the world around them.
We do this in a variety of formats. We visit schools, host schools at the Contact and Education Centre in Queensferry and also work with DYW (Developing the Young Workforce) to deliver virtual school sessions.
Here’s a taster of some of these activities the first quarter of 2025.
Through our education programme, our goal is to engage 10,000 pupils from 200 schools this academic year. In January, February and March, we delivered a mix of in person workshops and virtual sessions across 28 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. This allowed us to reach 2,677 pupils from 60 primary and secondary schools, meaning we’re right on track to achieve our target!
Two engineers from our NW bridges team delivered our ‘Can You Cantilever’ workshop to a group of senior students at Oban High School. This practical learning experience, inspired by Connel Bridge, puts pupils’ STEM skills to the test, challenging them to build a cantilever structure using wooden lolly sticks and 2p coins as weights.
Earlier this year, we welcomed 28 second and third year students from the University of Edinburgh along to the Forth Road Bridge where they had the chance to learn all about the iconic structure from one of our principal engineers, enjoyed a walk across the bridge and visited the north west anchorage chamber.
In February, we also had the chance to meet more talented students at Heriot-Watt’s career fair, where we shared insights into the exciting opportunities available at BEAR Scotland.
The mentoring initiative with a group of final year Civil Engineering students from Heriot-Watt University culminated in March. They had been challenged to investigate ways to reduce congestion issues on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass, not an easy task by any means! We were very impressed with their thorough approach.
As part of our ongoing efforts to encourage young talent, we took part in Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025, running a social media campaign that highlighted what our apprentices enjoy about working at BEAR and the different career pathways available. Throughout the week, we shared success stories from our current apprentices, insights from staff, and behind-the-scenes looks at the projects they’re involved in.
We also attended Napier University’s ‘Graduate Apprenticeship Employer Showcase’ in February to provide industry insights and offer students the chance to speak directly with our team, including someone who has completed a graduate apprenticeship with BEAR and Napier. It looks like we’ve got a new candidate for Autumn 2025 already!
Additionally, we went along to a DYW apprenticeship event for all high schools in Stirling. Our team spoke to S3-S6 students about the benefits of undertaking a modern or graduate apprenticeship including the opportunity to get real experience in the workplace, ‘earn as you learn’ and receive strong mentorship to help achieve a qualification.
BEAR representatives also attended two more CECA Scotland Academy graduation events in Inverness and Fife Colleges. This scheme works with colleges and the sector to develop much needed skills.
By engaging with young people, we hope to spark their curiosity and show them that a career in engineering is both rewarding and impactful. We’re proud to support the next generation of engineers and will continue working with schools, colleges, and universities, doing out bit to ensure that Scotland’s roads are in safe hands.
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