What does CRGP director and quantity surveyor Bob Turnbull have in common with Scotland team coach Alex McLeish and SFA boss Gordon Smith? Apart from being behind our national team during various campaigns, Bob, Alex and Gordon are also individuals who give up their time and knowledge to help and inspire the next generation to fulfill their potential.

For CRGP and Bob Turnbull it all started when the company was asked to look at some phased planning in school buildings by DARE. It is a café club created to inspire young people between the ages of 14-17. The idea at the time was to have various centres in schools where pupils could meet, listen to music, relax and learn from outstanding individuals from the world of business, arts and sport.

“By having an area in each school where pupils could meet entrepreneurs, sports personalities and anyone at the top of their profession,” said Bob Turnbull, “it would give pupils a much clearer impression of what a particular career involved and what was required academically or in human qualities to do that job.”

After the meetings, pupils will be able to take part in on-line discussions and ask questions they hadn’t thought of at the time. There is also a library of support material available to members including video, member profiles, forums and downloads.

DARE also organises career tours where students visit different business environments where they can ask their host questions or when ex-pupils are invited back to school to discuss their career journey since leaving.
“CRGP is one of six pilot companies that are taking part in road shows. We are going to host around 30 pupils from Holyrood School who will come along to our office and learn from directors all about the company and what they had to do to become an architect, quantity surveyor or perhaps building surveyor,” said Bob.

The whole process should explain the exact workings of a growing architect and surveyor business and how its personnel have developed into different roles such as project management and CDM Co-ordinators. It will also show the extent and variety of work that is done from national projects with the Ministry of Defence to cutting edge architecture and commissions from local authorities, schools, churches and banks.

Dare is a project that is being pioneered by Ruth Scott who was motivated to form her company as she felt there was so much negative media surrounding young people. She did not like the way they were being portrayed and felt that if they could be given the right guidance and goals they would be better focused on a career path that suited them.

“Children are often motivated by what they hear in the press or see on the television,” says Ruth. “What I have done is to examine the celebrity role and I have asked achievers to come and talk to them about how they have grown their business.

“These people have been very kind and shown enthusiasm to help. In most cases they do not enjoy star status but they have in their career helped grow their business. When the children meet these real people they see and hear the passion they have for their work and also learn more about their business and the various routes of employment that exist within its structure.”