Petroc Student Initiative

📷

SWM & Waste Recycling and Petroc joined forces to help students studying for a BTEC in Architecture, Surveying and the Built Environment to complete a Dragon’s Den style business case.

Students were briefed to develop business plans based on sustainability and SWM supported the scheme as part of their Re-Work Initiative. SWM Director Martin Mogford said, “ We have a strong relationship with Petroc and we are keen to help students develop their business skills. There is a growing demand to manage resources responsibly, to maximize their use and minimize waste to landfill. So this was a great opportunity for us to share our expertise with the college and help them develop ideas that have the potential to be implemented”.

SWM provided a real case study example to support students learning at Petroc: Students studying to work as project managers, architects or surveyors learn as part of their course, how businesses are structured, about the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees and how challenges to become more environmentally friendly can be managed. SWM set these students a challenge: To devise a business plan that would add value to currently low value materials such as low grade cardboard and old tyres, which are currently expensive to recycle. Proposals students Josh George, Chris Harding ,Jai Watts, Marcus Dumont and Jules McHugh came up with included bike racks made from recycled tyres, furniture, eco homes, tyre plant holders and a cardboard bike.

Anne-Marie O’Brien of Petroc said “The standard of the submissions was extremely high, with students achieving distinctions and merits for their work. It was hard to pick a winner”.

Josh George got the top prize and was presented with book vouchers by SWM Director Raymond Penfold. The runners up all got a small prize too in recognition of their impressive submissions.