The students, who are enrolled on the college’s Adult Construction Skills course, spent two weeks working alongside McAvoy, which is leading the redevelopment for Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.

The phased programme is intended to improve facilities for patients and staff at Lynfield Mount Hospital, which provides specialist mental health services across Bradford, Keighley, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.

During their placements, the students shadowed teams working on the construction of a new ward block and the refurbishment of the existing hospital, as well as learning about site operations and project management.

Duan Kapp, project manager at McAvoy, said: ‘We were delighted to welcome the students and give them the opportunity to experience a live site environment and learn more about our offsite manufacturing and integrated project delivery process.

‘Projects like this rely on a strong pipeline of skilled people entering the industry, so it is vital that we continue to support and inspire the next generation of talent.’

The Construction Academy course supports adults aged 19 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training. It introduces students to trades including bricklaying, joinery, decorating and electrical work, alongside maths, employability and problem-solving skills.

Louise Rigg, project director of the Lynfield Mount Hospital Redevelopment Programme, said the Trust wanted the investment to deliver wider benefits for the local community.

‘As well as making a difference to people who use the Trust’s services and staff members, we want the redevelopment to have a positive and lasting impact on the hospital’s local communities,’ she said.

John Wells, project manager at Bradford College’s Construction Academy, said the placement had given students experience beyond the trades themselves.

‘In addition to spending time on site, they were also given an insight into the site office side of things, which usually doesn’t happen on a standard work experience placement,’ he said.