Esh Construction officially unveils Interactive Learning Zone at Skills Street

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Esh Construction has officially opened its new Interactive Learning Zone at Skills Street, located at Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park.

The event, attended by key client partners from YORhub and local councils, marks a significant milestone in Esh’s collaborative investment in social value across Yorkshire. As the first employer partner to join Skills Street, the North of England contractor has merged its award-winning employability and careers programmes – Stay Safe, Get into STEM, and Construction in the Curriculum – into a single, immersive space.

Skills Street is a pioneering and immersive careers learning experience developed by Gulliver’s Valley Theme Parks in collaboration with The Work-wise Foundation. It aims to inspire and inform children, young people, and adults from across Yorkshire and beyond about the diverse career opportunities available.

More than 1,500 students have visited the Interactive Learning Zone since a soft launch six weeks ago and availed of the chance to explore the diverse world of construction through hands-on activities, interactive challenges, and real-life scenarios.

Megan Roberts, Social Value Manager at Esh Construction, said: “It's fantastic to have a home for all our programmes, especially given the great work we do locally through our social value schemes. This space brings together everything we stand for – engaging, inspiring, and informing the next generation about the breadth of opportunities in construction. It’s not just about what we do here, but about the wider impact we can have when we work together with partners like YORhub, Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.”

The Esh Interactive Learning Zone features a range of engaging activities, including Dudley’s Site Cabin, where visitors can dress as construction workers and learn about site safety; the Esh Living Site, which challenges teams to build to client specifications; and the Retrofit Tri Station, where sustainable technologies are brought to life through interactive science lessons. The space also includes an immersive technology sand pit for planning river embankments.

Andy Radcliffe, Chief Executive at Esh added: “Our social value and design teams have worked tirelessly with key stakeholders since 2022 to bring our Interactive Learning Zone to life. It is a proud day for the business to be officially launching this space, which showcases Esh’s commitment to inspiring young people to consider a career in construction from an early age. It’s not just about what we do here, but about the wider impact we can have when we work together with partners like YORhub and local authorities.”

Skills Street, developed by Gulliver’s Valley Theme Parks in collaboration with The Work-wise Foundation, has already welcomed more than 1,600 school-aged learners from 49 schools in its first six weeks. The initiative is designed to raise aspirations, close attainment gaps, and provide real-world career insights for young people from all backgrounds.

James Beighton, Business Development Manager at Skills Street, said: “Construction is such a critical industry for our economy with increasingly pressing skills needs. We are delighted to partner with Esh to showcase the breadth of opportunity across the built environment, introducing young people at an earlier age to job roles and practical skills that look beyond the obvious.

“Our construction skills space brings an immersive careers learning experience to groups from primary age upwards, building in problem solving and teamwork alongside thematic areas such as sustainability, environmental design and construction project management. Visitors are placed into real life scenarios linked to Esh projects and leave the space with a broad view on construction and its relevance to classroom learning. Most importantly, we are working collaboratively to inform a better prepared workforce whilst inspiring our next generation one skill at a time.”  

The opening of the Esh Interactive Learning Zone demonstrates the power of partnership in delivering lasting social value and equipping young people with the skills and inspiration they need for the future. YORhub, whose member councils have played a key role in supporting Skills Street, also welcomed the opening.

Mike Raven, YORhub Performance and Improvement Manager, said: “YORhub, as the regional public sector hub for construction procurement in Yorkshire and the Humber, champions the upskilling of young people and encouraging them to consider construction as a career. The sector is badly in need of more people and our award-winning Employment & Skills offer drives this, with 29,000 pupils having benefitted from site visits and workshops since the launch of YORhub.

“We're delighted to see Esh Construction, as one of our framework contractors, inspiring young people to join construction by becoming the first contractor on Skills Street and so being able to give visibility to the wide range of careers the industry offers.”

To find out more about Esh Construction, visit www.eshgroup.co.uk

For more information on Skills Street, visit https://skills-street.co.uk/