Students from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Plumbing and Piping program toured the site where KPU’s new childcare centre is being built on the KPU Surrey campus.
For many students, this was the first time being on an active construction site.
“They’re getting real experience learning from contractors that we’ve hired,” says Brent Elliott, Associate Vice President, Campus and Community Planning. “They get to see what a real construction site looks like and get that hands-on experience.”
The project which is being undertaken in partnership with the Province of BC and the Métis Nation BC, includes three buildings with 61 childcare spaces and is currently under construction. Students had the opportunity to see different stages of the building process firsthand which is an experience they wouldn’t typically get in the classroom.
“They got to see a bit of everything. There’s civil work, underground footings and framing,” says Riis Anderson, Superintendent, Turner Construction.
This is the first time Turner Construction has offered students the opportunity to tour the project, but Anderson hopes they can continue offering tours throughout the building process.
“It’s all well and good to have experience in the classroom but when you can actually be onsite and see how things are placed in a day-by-day basis, a lot of things click for them at that point,” says Anderson. “It’s a real-world application of what they’re learning.”
The childcare centre is projected to be completed in 2027.
