9 August 2011
Construction Learners Get A Fresh Start
Learners
Learners have just completed a four-week course in Basic
Construction Skills, studying various fields of construction and
earning a City & Guilds Level 1 Award, a BTEC Workskills level
1 award and a CSCS card, entitling them to work on construction
sites as general operatives. The course, offered to anybody over 18
in receipt of benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment
Support Allowance, is an accelerated, focused course providing a
pathway to work. The students completed units in bricklaying,
plumbing, painting & decorating, electrics, carpentry and
joinery and health & safety at the Deptford campus and also
went on a field trip to a multi-million pound construction site
(including a 43-storey tower, the highest residential block in
London) in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium.
The learners, some of whom had over 20 years experience, were
pleased and impressed. "I feel much more confident, especially
about using tools," said Colin Sinclair. "We participated in a lot
of team building, and the skills we learned here will help us earn
a decent living," said Nigel Kavanagh. "I gained a great deal in
work skills in terms of plotting targets and using computers," said
Christopher Smith.
The visit to an Ardmore construction site, where five new
residential blocks are being built, was a particular highlight. "I
was impressed. It's a massive site that runs so smoothly, and I was
interested in how construction has changed," Sinclair said. Indeed,
several learners were fascinated by construction's move to
pre-fabricated materials and how plastering works today with the
rise of veneer plastering. The visit wasn't just educational -
Ardmore's tour guide gave her details for the newly qualified
learners to get in touch about future opportunities. A bright
future awaits the learners. "I'm changing my CV right away," said
Emerson Marks, "and I hope to be back at work by the end of the
week."