Schoolchildren aged 10 and above discover the construction industry with DIY kit and online game

How do you get and keep students excited about a future in the construction sector? That is the question that the Province of Antwerp, Thomas More and KULeuven set to work on. The answer? That is Hylas, education outside school. Hylas is a hybrid learning environment in which pupils aged 10 to 14 are introduced to the construction sector. Through learning at school, doing on the shop floor and playing with an online game. For four years, pupils can keep track of their experiences in a portfolio. Thanks to Hylas, they can later make a conscious choice for construction training.

From school desk to construction site: learning through experience

With Hylas, schools get a ready-made package to shape their lessons. Pupils have the chance to draw their own digital building plans and receive a workshop on 'bio-based material design'. As icing on the cake, they get to build their own circular 'biobased' house on the construction site of Kamp C, the centre for sustainability and innovation in construction!

Today, 28 pupils from the Stedelijk Lyceum Olympiade Antwerpen already set to work at Kamp C. Yigithan (aged 13) is one of the builders and says; "It's fun to work together and interesting to learn new things, like assembly and screwing. We haven't done that much before and now I can do it better!"

Many schoolchildren do not know enough about the construction industry to make that study choice. That is why we are launching 'Hylas: education outside school' with the province of Antwerp. Hylas is a learning environment where pupils are introduced to the construction sector at home, at school and even on a simulated construction site. The focus is on pupils aged 10 to 14. The generation of the future is laying its foundations today.

Construction companies help build

Hylas also brings education and the labour market closer together. In co-creation with teachers, the construction companies themselves design experiential learning moments on site. This brings pupils into contact with construction professionals and gives them an insight into study and career choices in the sector. Pupils are also introduced to different professions in the sector in the online game. And during the construction of the house, they take on the role of architect, insulation expert or site manager.

Kamp C is the perfect location to build the biobased house. That is where 'The Exploded View Beyond Building' stands. This building shows that circular and biobased building is closer than we think. We would like to introduce this to our young people, the construction professionals of tomorrow.

From September onwards for all schools

Currently, Hylas is still being scientifically tested, under the supervision of Thomas More and KULeuven. We are evaluating the experiences of pupils, teachers and companies. From September onwards, every school in the province can register for Hylas. The website and the online game will then be open to everyone.

Erol (13 years old) and Rayan (12 years old) already played the online game today. In it, they put together the right teams of professionals to build a bridge, for example. What do they think of the game? "We think it is fun and beautiful! The read-aloud function is also handy so we can listen quietly."