Construction
Get out from behind a desk and work on varied construction projects, finishing each day with results you can see and touch.
Our programmes focus heavily on the practical elements of learning: working in industry placements and practicing in our college’s excellent facilities.
As well as deepening your knowledge of the construction industry, you will develop the expertise and knowledge required to enter the industry at an advanced stage, or to progress to university to prepare for a career in construction management. The sector is well paying and there are opportunities to progress from an apprenticeship to self-employed trade specialist, or a project-manager role in a multi-national company.
Whether your skills and interests would match with being a carpenter, plumber, electrician, site foreman or surveyor, our teachers have years of experience within construction and will share with you the knowledge and expertise you need to succeed. What’s more, our students get to work on employer led projects which reflect the real-life challenges construction companies face every day.
Previous employer-led projects our students have taken part in include:
- Skanska, a design, building and engineering company, set a project to design a new roundabout junction. Teams made designs for a junction in Harwell that would accommodate increased traffic and the needs of pedestrians.
- Creating a pre-tender package for a new science-park development in partnership with mentors from Beard Construction, an award-winning construction company. The project involved fact-finding visits to the real-life development site, currently under construction.
The construction industry is a huge employer nationally, with 1.5 million jobs forecast by 2025 and over 56,000 new jobs being available annually.
One of the reasons for the strength of this industry is that the roles can be so varied, and all are crucial to construction projects, whether large or small. Plumbers and electricians are necessary to install systems and carry out repairs, carpenters and construction workers interpret designs and create structures, site foremen supervise teams and architects design and develop specifications for buildings. The construction industry offers a wealth of career opportunities to progress into once you gain your qualification.
Industry partnerships
Sherrie, Construction Level 3Read my storyI thought that I’d struggle to get an apprenticeship straight away, so I came to college to get some experience first.
