Students from The Malling School in East Malling were among the first to experience the Kent Skills Hub as part of their work experience programme.
Located in the heart of Hermitage Quarry, the Kent Skills Hub has been designed to attract and train the next generation of construction industry workers, as well as be a facility available to support local Kent schools with delivering work experience for pupils.
During the visit, 20 Year 12 students were set a live business challenge focused on HGV road safety, working in teams to develop campaign ideas that could help support awareness across Gallagher Group’s businesses and the wider community.
They went on to present their ideas in a Dragon’s Den-style session to representatives from the school and Gallagher Group.
In a joint statement, John Vennart, current head teacher and Karen Davey, head teacher from September 2026, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone at Gallagher Group for delivering what has been the most outstanding work experience programme we have seen for our Year 12 students. Throughout the week, our students were given an exceptional opportunity to experience the world of work first-hand, from visiting the quarry and spending time on site to exploring areas such as budgeting and finance, product management, marketing and leadership.
“Working alongside Gallagher’s mentors and leadership team on a real business challenge enabled our students to develop invaluable skills that they will carry with them into higher education, apprenticeships and future careers. They grew in confidence, strengthened their communication, teamwork, resilience, problem-solving and presentation skills, and gained experiences they can proudly talk about in future interviews.
“This partnership reflects The Malling School's commitment to developing the whole student, helping our young people build the character, confidence and employability skills that will enable them to succeed beyond the classroom. We are enormously thankful to Gallagher Group for the time, care and expertise they invest in our students year after year, as well as for the generous prizes awarded to recognise their achievements. Their continued support is making a genuine and lasting difference to the aspirations and futures of our young people.”
Aaron Clark, HGV Transport Manager at Gallagher Group, added: “The pupils were great and inspired by the opportunity to get up so close to Kent’s largest hard rock quarry and see for themselves what goes on here. They gained an invaluable insight into the construction, quarrying and transport sectors, while developing their practical teamwork, communication and presentation skills.”
The Kent Skills Hub was officially opened in June and has been made possible thanks to funding from Gallagher Group, matched by the Infrastructure Sector Skills Plan from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
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