Burnley students cross the Mersey

The young people were shown around the huge civil engineering project, which extends the existing docks to allow for newer and larger container ships from across the world to unload their cargo.

The visit was organised to help students gain a better understanding of how the construction and engineering theory they learn in the classroom is put into practice in the real world.

CDM Scotland and CDM England project consultant Mark Nicholson talked to the students about how the new dock was extended into the Mersey estuary and how they overcome the technical challenges when developing a complex project.

Mark then went on to highlight the importance of getting the right qualifications while at college.

The group was then taken on a tour of the whole site and shown the 130m. cranes, designed to operate around the clock to unload international frieght ships containing up to 18,000 containers each.

A-Level construction student James Smith said: “I enjoyed the visit and was really impressed with the scale of the development. It gave me a lot of career options to think about too, some I’d never even considered before.”

Organiser Iftikhar Bokhari, programme leader for Construction and Professional Studies, said: “Burnley College Sixth Form Centre is committed to enabling students to better understand that what they learn in the classroom has a real application in the wider world.

“Visits like these also allow students to explore options for their future development and meet people who already work in industry. We build strong relationships with industry leaders to offer our students the best options for their futures.”

Principal Hugh Bramwell said: “Offering extra-curricular visits to sites such as Peel Ports offers Advanced Level students a unique insight in to the working world.

“Seeing industry in action is an eye-opening experience and our students benefit from understanding how their outstanding qualifications could be put into practice.”