McBurney Transport take pupils' studies up a gear!

The young people visited McBurney Transport to assist them in the Logistics and Transport Unit which is part of their Occupational Studies programme.

As part of the Entitlement Framework offering, Northern Regional College (NRC) works in partnership with schools including Castle Tower and St Patrick’s in Ballymena to enhance the experience of students by providing an exciting and innovative vocational curriculum which is relevant to the opportunities available within the world of commerce and industry.

Occupational Studies is a strand of the Entitlement Framework where students attend Northern College one day per week and study four modules as part of their training to achieve their Occupational Studies qualification.

NRC lecturer Robert Hill said: “McBurney Transport kindly provided a Volvo Tractor unit and a refrigerated trailer which helped students understand how important road haulage is to our economy as well as provide an insight into career opportunities in this area of industry.

“A demonstration of a driver’s duties regarding safety checks to be made on the vehicle was given, as was a demonstration of the coupling /uncoupling procedure. Students were given a tour both around and inside the vehicle which allowed them to imagine ‘life on the road’ and most importantly gain an awareness of what a driver can see, or what they can’t see from the driver’s seat, which hopefully they will remember when they take to the roads as car drivers and are encountering large trucks on a daily basis.

“It is vital to link with local industry to ensure students get the practical on-hand experience required within these vocational courses,” said Mr Hill who extended thanks to McBurney transport for the opportunity of the visit.