North Northamptonshire Council has teamed up with, principal contractors, Messenger BCR Group and Moulton College to provide students with a unique work experience opportunity.
Whilst work is ongoing to replace the library roof on Cornerstone in Kettering, students specialising in stonemasonry joined Messenger to gain hands-on experience working on two of Kettering’s most significant heritage buildings: Kettering Library and the Alfred East Art Gallery.
The placements are designed to build confidence, strengthen technical skills and open pathways into employment across the heritage, culture, tourism and construction sectors.
With traditional trades like stonemasonry, real life opportunities like this are invaluable for students and I am so pleased we were able to facilitate getting Moulton College pupils on site.
The Culture, Tourism and Heritage team are looking to build on this further - working closely with further and higher education providers across the local area to create meaningful personal and professional development opportunities across the service.
Whilst work continues on site it is great that, like with our Heritage Open Days event last year, we are able to take this opportunity to give a unique perspective, whilst helping students learn and prepare for the future.
Work experience placements such as this so important for our students. Whilst we can teach them skills and knowledge at college, nothing beats real site experience. We are extremely grateful to both North Northamptonshire Council and Messenger for working with us on this project.
This initiative builds on a strong and positive relationship with Moulton College that began at The Chester House Estate, expanded to Cornerstone in Kettering, and North Northamptonshire Council is now set to grow further through new opportunities with Discover Northamptonshire and the Corby Heritage Centre.
The library remains temporarily relocated in the upper floor of the modern extension of Cornerstone for the foreseeable future and the library team continue to offer a full range of services and group activities.
It’s been a real pleasure welcoming the Moulton College students on site and seeing first-hand their enthusiasm for heritage work. These buildings are an important part of Kettering’s story, and giving students the chance to work on them helps connect traditional skills with the next generation of craftspeople. At Messenger, we’re passionate about protecting historic buildings and just as committed to securing the future of heritage trades by investing in hands-on training and meaningful opportunities like this.
