During the July school holidays, eight young people aged 12-16 years in the Brighton area were offered the opportunity to learn construction skills at a hands-on construction workshop.

The workshop was the idea of Tiffany Harwood, a mum of three who lives in Bridgewa­ter and knew only too well the challenges of finding an outlet for young people who like to do things with their hands and have more of a practical, ‘doing stuff’ kind of mentality. Tiff decided to join Loreto Commu­nity Housing’s Inspiring Future Leaders Program in 2024 to develop opportunities for her children and other young people in the community.

With the support of Loreto Community Housing, Tiff was able to develop her idea further and this initial con­struction skills workshop was made possible. The two day workshop was held at St Paul’s Catholic School in Bridgewa­ter and facilitated by Build Up Tassie. Build Up Tassie is a free pre-employment program run by Loreto Community Housing which provides skill develop­ment and industry exposure for young people looking to enter the construction industry. They were perfectly placed to offer this free, hands-on learning ex­perience for young people. The workshop provided teenagers with a unique opportunity to explore the world of construc­tion through direct, practical experience in building five ‘mud kitchens’, which were donated to St Paul’s Primary School for children’s play.

In an era where technology and screens often dominate the minds of young people, the workshop offered a refreshing change – inviting participants to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty, and experience the satisfaction of building something.

Tiff explains “This is something that has been wanted by parents and young people in our area for a long time. Something to help kids learn practical, hands-on skills and channel this inter­est and energy into something productive. There has been huge interest in the school holidays workshop, and I would love for us to be able to run similar workshops on a regular basis.” Tiff is determined to explore all options to continue the suc­cess of the workshop and will investigate funding options or sponsorship that might allow her to do so.

Tiff was very satisfied with the program’s immediate positive influence. “I’ve seen my son’s confidence grow through this experience, coming home excit­ed and proud, eager to talk about what he built. The feedback from everyone has been overwhelm­ingly positive, and I can’t wait to see what we can do next.”

Thank you to Loreto Commu­nity Housing’s Build Up Tassie Program and St Paul’s Catholic School for their support of the workshops.