Construction

Express your creativity with quality tools

Whatever trade you're looking to grow your skills in, we have the latest equipment to get you there. There are hundreds of tools from trusted brands and stockrooms packed with materials, so you're never short of options when working on projects.

A modern and innovative construction hub

The Construction Skills Centre is one of the newer buildings at the Witney campus. Over two floors, students can practice key skills in plumbing, electrical work, carpentry and joinery in state-of-the-art surroundings.

Gain insights into the construction industry

There are lots of trips to local and national employers and construction firms to see how the industry works.

Gain the practical qualities you need to become a skilled trades professional.

Work within a top class facility with specialist tutors where at every turn, you will find new tools to master and new challenges to overcome, helping to build a wealth of experience.

Take pride in watching your creative ideas take shape and turn into defined projects. This could be fitting a bathroom from scratch, drawing and scaling plans for a cabinet or wiring complex circuitry to power a range of different lighting scenarios.

Our Construction courses are on-your-feet, hands-on learning where there is freedom to get stuck into your work and support from tutors when you need it.

There are also work experience opportunities and visits outside of college, including the National Self Build & Renovation Centre, so you can tap into trending developments in the industry.

Staff Profile: Ruth Weller

Before starting life at Abingdon & Witney College, Ruth went to Burford Secondary School where she achieved all her GCSEs with a grade C and above.

She then joined the College's Level 1 Carpentry and Joinery course; her teachers were clearly impressed, as she was offered the opportunity to do a part-time technician role alongside her Level 2 and once that was achieved, was offered the job full-time.

"The best part about my job and teaching at the College is getting to work with so many different students and watching them grow and develop in so many ways.

I believe that two of the most important benefits students get are the opportunity to enhance their skill levels within the chosen course, and the fact that this then helps them to develop a further level of confidence in themselves.

College also helps prepare students for their life after they finish here, offering careers advice and guidance and the opportunity to get experience in a workplace. This is really important, as it shows them what life will be like outside of education."

Staff Profile: Gerry Kane

Gerry joined the Army in communications after leaving school, in the Royal Logistics Corp where he served for eight years. His career then turned to traditional joinery and all elements of site work.

Gerry came to the College and joined the Construction teaching staff, just as the Construction Skills Centre was being built and was part of the team of staff and students who designed the workshops.

He is qualified at Level 3 in Bench Joinery and Site Carpentry, and in his spare time is a volunteer swim coach and an Assistant Scout Leader.

"I've always focused on delivering quality training and making sure people have the right skills they need, practical and personal. I did some teaching in the Army and this feels like it naturally led me to where I am now.

It's so rewarding at the end of the year to see how far learners have come and what they have achieved. I often bump into previous students a few years down the line, who have progressed to amazing things like becoming site managers. You get a great feeling from seeing that.

Our students get important life and employability skills, so whether they continue in the industry or not they are prepared for careers and have a practical trade to fall back on."

Did you know?

In demand construction jobs over the next five years in the UK include construction process managers, professional and technical staff, and wood trades and interior fit-out specialists.

From Rothenberger pipe cutters to DeWalt power tools, our Construction students only use tried and tested quality brands.

Between 2018-2019, a third of our full-time Construction students went on to gain an apprenticeship.

Jacob

Previous school:
Chipping Norton School

The course I'm studying feels like what a career would be like, challenging me and providing space for me to work in.

I remember turning up on the first day and I thought wow! The size of the construction building, the equipment we get to use – it's all helping me to reach my goal, which is to have my own workshop, making bespoke designs for customers.

Sionainne

Previous school:
Wood Green School

I find that it never gets boring in the Skills Centre, learning joinery techniques and perfecting new skills - that's what I like most about the course, being in the amazing facilities.

The atmosphere is very relaxed here. You get freedom in the lessons and the fact that you're treated like an adult brings out the best in me. And because we are studying a specific subject that we’ve chosen, we aren’t doing anything that we don’t want to do!

I have a interest in woodwork and when I have completed the course, I would like to join the British Army Royal Engineers as a carpenter.

John

Previous school:
Burford School

What I like most about college life is the space we’re given to do our own thing. I can create my own designs, turning my ideas into reality, without being boxed into doing the same as everyone else.

I’m going down the carpentry route as I wanted to learn practical skill and turn that into a career. The College is close to me and in the construction centre I can use high-quality tools and learn everything I need to set me up for a job after college, so this was definitely the best choice for me.

Rusher

Previous school:
Henry Box School

I had already heard about the great reputation of the College and the plumbing course. It’s a big campus and you can tell the Skills Centre we're learning in is new with modern tools and equipment.

The courses are very different to those at school. It’s much more hands-on and there's a lot more freedom. The tutors are easy to talk to and know their stuff.

This course is putting me on the right path to want I eventually want to do, which is to get an apprenticeship in plumbing.