DEC! - AN ALTERNATIVE LESSON

The Design, Engineer, Construct! (DEC!) programme has been developed in partnership with Children, Young People, Education and Skills and Skills Jersey. It is one of several initiatives to introduce more STEMfocused learning activities to the school curriculum.

Island-wide Co-ordinator of DEC! and teacher at Hautlieu School Simon Forestiero explains how the programme works.

“I originally trained as an architect at the Manchester School of Architecture and, after teaching Design & Technology at schools in the UK and Dubai, I feel like I have come full circle having moved to Jersey in 2021 to take on the new challenge of delivering and raising the profile of the DEC! programme on Island”.

“The Rok group of companies has been an fantastic supporter and industry partner of the DEC course.” is a unique pathway, it shows you why you are learning formulas in Maths, why you are doing physics and how you can bring together these subjects to create something that we all need.”

Level 2 and 3 qualifications are currently offered at the school, with intermediate Level 2 being a recognised equivalent to GCSE and advanced Level 3 being A-Level standard.

Lessons are based around providing a real-life context for teaching science, technology, engineering and maths (known as STEM subjects) by designing, engineering and (virtually) constructing a building on a real selected site.

Through the DEC! qualification, students will have the opportunity to gain experience both in class and out on site, observing the full range of professional careers now available in the modern built-environment industries.

One of the key elements of the course is that some of the lessons are site-based and others are led by industry leaders with the students’ teachers in class. This gives a great opportunity for students to develop a real understanding of what their future careers may entail; they gain first-hand industry support with their studies and designs, in addition to meeting potential future employers in the process.

Richard De Gruchy, Director of ROK, has regular contact with the students, in the classroom along with the site visits. “He says: DEC!

Seeing the incredible progress and outcomes delivered by the young people in both the Level 2 and Level 3 programmes since starting the course here has been overwhelmingly impressive”. Students are facing challenges head-on, and they manage to produce excellent portfolio work of a very high standard”.

This course sets young people up with strong foundations of skills and knowledge in the related industries. In fact, so much so that DEC! has become recognised for its excellence by industry professionals across the Island, who are excited to see this pipeline of young talent enter the built-environment sector, helping to fill the skills gap that exists here in Jersey.

What is the best part of studying DEC!?

It’s definitely the hands-on experience of working with professionals in the built environment; being able to gain information from people who have been doing these jobs for years really helps me and hopefully others to achieve the best from this course. Unlike other courses, it’s all about getting first-hand experience of the job, rather than sitting in a lesson with a textbook for an hour.

Describe a typical lesson

We get an introduction to the unit and section we will be doing, then we learn what it’s all about. After this will be able to work independently to make sure the work is done to the best standard. This higher level of freedom really helps me to go at my own pace and helps me to move forward in my career. We often have industry professionals come in and introduce subjects. This often takes up the whole lesson and really grows our understanding of what we need to do.

How has it affected your career options?

At the start of my A-levels, I didn’t know what I wanted to do after education, but DEC! has shown me the exciting parts of the construction cycle: the architectural, the engineering and the planning elements. It’s designed to cover all of it, to give students a greater view of career options. Studying DEC! has really helped me decide what I want to do and how to achieve it.

What is your ambition for the future?

I am hoping to do an architecture degree course at university. Building on my knowledge from DEC! and extracurricular activities has really helped me decide that it is what I want to do in the future.

Is there anything you would say to someone considering studying DEC!?

If you have a career interest in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Planning or anything related to the construction industry, then studying DEC! is going to really help you achieve those goals.