Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Chris and what does he do? Chris is the big boss (group managing director) of his very own construction companies. This means he is in charge of building things! Every day is an adventure because he does lots of different things, like having meetings with clients and the local parish council, visiting the building sites to make sure his team is doing a great job, and sorting out any problems. At the end of the day, he also has to read around 200 emails.

Is it all just laying bricks? Not at all! You might think working in construction means just putting bricks on top of each other all day, but Chris is the boss, so he has to make sure the whole project runs smoothly behind the scenes.

Actually, the most important skills for Chris are communication (talking and listening) and being very organised. Because he has to speak to so many different people and look after so many moving parts, he needs to be brilliant at explaining things and keeping track of all his important jobs.

How did he get this job? When Chris was 17 or 18, he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, but he knew he wanted to own his own business one day. When he was 18, he started as an apprentice. This meant his company paid for him to go to university one day a week while he worked and learned the job at the same time. After working for them for 10 years, he decided it was “now or never” and started his own business when he was 27.

What is the best part? Chris loves seeing how much a building changes every single week. However, his absolute favourite thing is seeing the finished project and remembering what it felt like on the very first day when it was just an empty field and they put the first spade in the ground.

Think of it like this: Being a construction boss is a bit like putting together a giant Lego set with a big team of friends. You start with a totally empty space, and every day you work together to add new pieces, solve tricky problems, and watch it grow until you have built something amazing!

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Steve and what does he do? Steve is a joiner (which is a special type of carpenter). His job is to build and fit the wooden parts of houses. This involves building roofs, putting in strong wooden floor beams (joists), and adding the finishing touches like doors, stairs, skirting boards, and even kitchens.

Is it all just heavy lifting? Not at all! You might think builders just use their muscles to carry heavy wood all day, but Steve says you have to use your brain just as much.

Actually, a really important skill for Steve is thinking and measuring. He has to keep his mind very active to measure everything perfectly so he doesn’t make any mistakes. He likes that his job keeps both his body and his mind busy, instead of just sitting in an office all day.

How did he get this job? When Steve was 15 years old, he moved to Ireland and saw lots of amazing houses being built. He knew right then he had two choices: he either wanted to design houses (like an architect) or build them with wood. He chose to be a joiner, and he still loves his job just as much today as he did when he first started!

What is the best part? Steve really likes walking into a blank, empty room and transforming it into a proper home by fitting all the wooden parts. However, his absolute favourite thing is driving past a house with his kids and proudly pointing to it to say, “I put that roof on!”.

Think of it like this: Being a joiner is a bit like building a giant, real-life Lego house. Instead of using tiny plastic bricks, Steve uses real wood to build homes, turning an empty space into something brilliant that families can live in!

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Steve and what does he do? Steve is a Site Manager. Part of his job is making sure everything runs smoothly on a building site. He orders all the materials needed, makes sure everyone is working safely, and helps sort out any tricky problems.

Is it all just building things with bricks? Not at all! You might think people who work in construction just build walls all day, but Steve says a lot of his job is actually about solving puzzles and fixing technical faults.

Actually, the most important skill for Steve is teamwork. He spends a lot of time encouraging his workers and motivating them to do their very best. For Steve, creating a happy and strong team spirit (he calls it a “team ethos”) is one of the most important things a manager can do.

How did he get this job? When Steve left school, he actually went to art college first! After that, he worked with a local builder, and then spent 10 years working for the Ministry of Defence in the Navy. He then returned to building and worked his way up through lots of different manager jobs over a long and varied career.

What is the best part? Steve’s absolute favourite thing is finishing a building project and seeing how happy people are with their new homes. He loves checking back a year later and seeing that the families living there are warm, safe, and pleased with the house his team built.

Think of it like this: Being a Site Manager is a bit like being the captain of a sports team or the conductor of an orchestra. Steve doesn’t do all the building himself, but he makes sure everyone works together smoothly and safely to create something brilliant!

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Kev and what does he do? Kev works on a building site as a general labourer. He says he does a bit of everything, but his main jobs are keeping the site tidy and making sure all the other builders have exactly what they need.

What skills are the most important? To do his job well, Kev has to be super organised. He says that time management is really important so he can stay one step ahead of everyone else on the site and keep things running smoothly.

Does he only work on building sites? Not at all! Kev has always loved music, and every summer he works in the music industry. He runs a team (called a rigging crew) that sets up heavy equipment for huge music festivals and stadium concerts. When winter comes, he goes back to the building site to keep busy, as he is also a fully trained painter and decorator.

What is the best part? Kev says the absolute best part of his job is working as a team and having a laugh (which he calls a “good crack”) with his mates. He also loves the amazing feeling of starting a brand new building project and seeing the fantastic finished results at the end.

Think of it like this: Being a general labourer is a bit like being the backstage manager of a school play. You make sure the stage is clean, everyone has their props, and everything stays perfectly organised so the final show is brilliant! Kev is the person making sure the whole team can do their best work.

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Tyler is a bricklayer who builds properties for people to live in. Part of his job also involves fitting lintels, damp courses, damp trays, and weep holes. In fact, his team handles almost every aspect of the building process, apart from the joinery.

Is it just laying bricks? Not at all! You might think bricklayers only stack bricks on top of each other, but Tyler says they take on many different structural tasks to make sure the building is properly put together and protected.

Actually, the most important skill for Tyler is his core bricklaying ability. Even though he works on many parts of a building, he describes his bricklaying skills as his “bread and butter,” meaning it is the fundamental foundation of his work.

How did he get this job? When Tyler left school, he started out doing groundwork. After that, he went to college to study welding engineering. He “jumped about a little bit” and tried doing “all sorts” of jobs before settling into his current role.

What is the best part? Tyler thinks he works for a good company, but his absolute favourite thing is the work itself. He genuinely loves “every aspect” of what he does.

Think of it like this: Finding the right career is a bit like testing out different tools in a toolbox. You might have to try a few different ones—like groundwork and welding—before you find the trade that fits you perfectly. Tyler learned by trying different jobs, and now he gets to build homes from the ground up!

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Alan and what does he do? Alan drives a massive machine called a telehandler forklift on a building site. His job is to deliver important materials, like bricks and blocks, to the bricklayers and other workers so they can do their jobs. He also helps tidy up by emptying the rubbish skips and pitches in to help his teammates when it’s a bit quiet.

Is it all just driving? Not at all! You might think driving a big forklift is just about steering and lifting, but Alan says you have to be really switched on and focused. Because his truck is so huge and there are lots of people working around him, he has to be very careful about health and safety to make sure everyone stays safe.

Actually, a really important part of Alan’s job is teamwork and awareness. He spends his day making sure all the different workers have exactly what they need, keeping the building site moving smoothly like a giant conveyor belt.

How did he get this job? You might be surprised, but Alan used to be a professional boxer! He signed a contract with a building company and worked for them for 27 years. Ten years ago, his boss gave him the chance to learn how to drive the telehandler, so he took the opportunity. He learned how to do it by working on lots of different building sites to pick up experience.

What is the best part? Alan really likes making sure all the other lads on the site are happy and have full supplies of materials. However, his absolute favourite thing is getting to the end of the day, looking back, and feeling like it has been a really successful day of hard work.

Think of it like this: Driving the forklift is a bit like being the midfield player who passes the football to the strikers so they can score a goal. Alan doesn’t lay the bricks himself, but by safely delivering all the heavy materials to his teammates, he makes sure the whole team can win the match and finish the building!

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Paul and what does he do? Paul Smith is an electrician. His job involves putting all the electrical wires inside houses, which he calls the “first fix”. Once the walls are boarded up and plastered smoothly, he comes back for the “second fix” to fit all the switches and sockets together so everything works.

Is it all just playing with wires? Not at all! You might think an electrician just plugs things in, but it is actually a very active job. Paul spends his day drilling holes, climbing up and down stairs and ladders, and carrying tons of really heavy cable.

Actually, the most important skill for Paul is solving puzzles (fault finding). When things don’t work, Paul needs the knowledge to look at the problem and think, “Ah, I know what it is. How do I get around it?”. He has to work out the safest routes for all the electricity to travel, acting like a bit of a detective.

How did he get this job? When Paul was younger, he did quite well at school and started off making moulds for cars in a factory. When those factories started shutting down, he did some data installation work, saw some electricians on the job, and thought it looked much more interesting! So, he went to college, got his certificates, and has now been an electrician for 35 years.

What is the best part? Paul’s absolute favourite thing about the job is the end result—seeing everything he built work properly the very first time.

Think of it like this: Being an electrician is a bit like building a giant, hidden marble run inside the walls of a house. First, you carefully build the tracks where no one can see them (the wires), and then you add the fun buttons and lights on the outside (the switches), hoping the energy zooms through perfectly on the very first try!

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Shaun and what does he do? Shaun is a bricklayer. He helps build houses all the way from the concrete at the bottom right up to the roof. His job involves a lot of heavy lifting, picking up and laying down lots of bricks and big building blocks to make the walls.

Is it all just maths? Not entirely, but maths is still important! Sean uses basic maths to make sure his measurements are perfect. He has to build walls that are completely straight (which builders call “plumb”), perfectly flat (level), and square. This makes sure everything lines up just right.

Actually, the most important skill for Shaun is communication (talking and listening) and common sense. Building a house is a big team effort, so being able to communicate well with the other builders is a huge part of the job.

How did he get this job? When Shaun was at school, the internet wasn’t really around like it is today. Back then, when young people finished school, they usually decided to either go to college or learn a “trade” (a practical, skilled job done with your hands). That is how he chose to go into his job as a builder.

What is the best part? While Shaun doesn’t tell us exactly what his absolute favourite thing is, a really satisfying part of his job is getting everything built so perfectly that when it is time to put the roof on, it drops onto the house perfectly.

Think of it like this: Being a bricklayer is a bit like building a giant Lego house, but instead of small plastic pieces, you use real, heavy bricks and cement! Shaun uses his maths and common sense to make sure all the pieces fit together perfectly so the house is strong, straight, and safe to live in.

Spark Tees Valley

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In Summary:

Who is Becky and what does she do? Becky is a manager at a charity called Age UK Teesside. Her job is to make friends with people who run local businesses and encourage them to support the amazing work her charity does.

Does she just sit in an office all day? Not at all! You might think a manager just sits at a desk, but Becky actually spends her time travelling all over Teesside to go to different events.

Actually, the most important skills for Becky are talking and listening (communication). She uses her confidence to walk into a room, chat with business people about what they do, and tell them all about her charity’s mission. If you believe in yourself and are a good talker and listener, she says this job would be perfect for you.

How did she get this job? When Becky was at school, she really loved art and geography. She went to university but lost interest halfway through her degree. She took a break to try a job in sales and realised she had a real talent for chatting with people and learning about them. She was so good at it that she never went back to university, and her enthusiasm led her to the career she has now.

What is the best part? Becky really loves getting out on the road and visiting amazing places. However, her absolute favourite thing about the job is meeting new people every day and making a massive difference to the charity and the people they help.

Think of it like this: Becky’s job is a bit like being the captain of a game on the playground. Instead of just playing by herself, she walks up to different groups, makes friends with them, and invites them to join her team so they can all work together to do something brilliant!

Spark Tees Valley

The resources and ideas are intended to support, structure and scaffold your role; you want to be able to speak to anyone about how it is effectively implemented in school but you don’t want to spend hours and hours trying to keep on top of it. These will help.

Some downloadable resources to help you

The downloadables below can be used in classrooms near the main screen to remind teachers to link learning to real roles.

There are a range of downloads available for your classroom HERE

Spark Tees Valley

The most effective use of Spark is to sprinkle content throughout your curriculum via the National Curriculum links to create a culture of CRL in lessons. All of your planning is based on the National Curriculum and the ‘talking heads’ connect what children learn in a lesson to real world application of those skills or knowledge.

Other resources to consider

Our interactive map shows lots of companies across different sectors. Often used for assemblies or ‘company of the month’.

These ‘Guess Who’ videos are designed to engage pupils with real people rather than just a ‘role’. Often used in assemblies or a half termly class focus.

All our videos are mapped to the ten most commonly mentioned answers to ‘Which skills do you sue the most?’ Can be built into any PSCHE or skills based curriculum.

We continually add new content in collections so keep an eye on our Resources section at the top of the site, as well as our update emails.