Business sector: Manufacturing
Number of employees: 350
Language(s) supported: French and Spanish
Ancon Building Projects designs and manufactures high integrity
steel products for the construction industry, supplying customers
worldwide in a variety of sectors from small-scale residential
developments to major infrastructure projects. Ancon has overseas
offices in Mainland Europe, Middle East and Australia, making it
well placed to demonstrate the value of language in the workplace.
Ancon was shortlisted for a 2009 BLC award.
Summary of engagement
Groups of Year 10 students on NVQ French and Spanish
programmes visit Ancon’s offices to observe how languages are used
in the construction industry. They take part in various interactive
activities that demonstrate how languages are used in the
day-to-day running of the business. Ancon hosts a minimum of 40
students per year.
Objectives of employer engagement:
- To demonstrate to pupils the relevance of language learning in
the construction industry and to inspire them to continue with
their language studies.
- Hervé Poveda, manager of Ancon’s UK-based Products for
Structural Concrete sales division, reinforces this message: “In
the business world, language barriers can limit sales growth. It is
essential that Ancon is able to communicate, from the UK, with its
colleagues and customers overseas and the foreign language skills
of our staff are invaluable.”
Impact on students and school:
- For some students this was their first
experience of a business workplace. The visits enabled many of them
to make a tangible connection between learning languages as an
academic exercise and applying them practically in a real-life
context.
- Feedback from students has been extremely
positive. One student commented that “It has made me want to go on
to study a language after school”. Another remarked that “It has
made me more aware of how languages are used by industry.”
Teacher quote
“Ancon was able to show the relevance of language learning to the
world-of-work, something which is difficult to achieve from the
classroom. The students thoroughly enjoyed their time at the
business and embraced the opportunity to practise and develop their
French languages skills.” Margaret Senior, speaking on behalf of
the Open University and Routes into Languages
Impact on business
Involvement in the BLC
project helps Ancon to fulfill its corporate social responsibility
obligations and raise the profile of the business. Internally the
project has also benefited the members of staff involved by
broadening their field of activity and giving them a new
perspective on languages and education. Students bring new energy
and ideas o the business which Ancon staff have enjoyed benefiting
from.
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