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.
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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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bench/Architectural Joiner
Carpenter
Electrician
Furniture Maker
Heating Engineer
Plumber
Site Manager
Part Time MSWT100P
This course is designed to give you an in-depth knowledge of the key areas of the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations. This is a 6 week course - one evening per week 6pm - 9pm at the Witney campus. This course is entirely classroom based introducing the ...
Part Time XSBT003P
This course qualifies you to work on various gas appliances...
18th Jan 2023 - 19th Jan 2023
Wednesday & Thursday
Construction
Bicester Construction Skills Centre
View course detailsSchool Leaver MFWN100P
This course is hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a...
School Leaver MFAU150P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
School Leaver MFWM115P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
Part Time XPBT200P
The course introduces the candidate to all aspects of core gas safety through both theory and practical training and assessment....
4th Aug 2022 - 26th Oct 2023
Thursday
Construction
Bicester Construction Skills Centre
View course detailsSchool Leaver MFWN104P
This course is hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a...
School Leaver MFWT100P
This course is for learners who wish to work as electricians in the building services industry and is a stepping stone to becoming a full qualified electrician. It provides the underpinning knowledge that is needed for the level 3 NVQ and the journey...
School Leaver MFAU050P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
School Leaver MFWM101P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
Part Time XSBS001P
This intensive course is designed to support candidates who have no previous experience in the gas industry to achieve Gas Safe registration. The course includes both practical and theory training in all areas of domestic gas installations and associ...
1st Aug 2022 - 15th Dec 2022
Mondays & Wednesdays
Construction
Bicester Construction Skills Centre
View course detailsPart Time XSBS002P
This intensive course is designed to support candidates who have no previous experience in the gas industry to achieve Gas Safe registration. The course includes both practical and theory training in all areas of domestic gas installations and associ...
10th Jan 2023 - 22nd Jun 2023
Tuesday - Thursday
Construction
Bicester Construction Skills Centre
View course detailsSchool Leaver MFAU100P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
School Leaver MFWM100P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
School Leaver MFWN101P
This course is hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a...
School Leaver MFAU200P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
School Leaver MFWM105P
Hands on, practically challenging, fast moving and diverse. Whilst no job within construction is ever the same you can be sure that it will be exciting with varied career and training options. Our dedicated construction workshops are a great place to...
School Leaver MFWT106P
This one year course is designed to give you the advanced skills, techniques and understanding of the trade needed to be successful in this profession. These specialist skills will improve your employability prospects with a specialist site carpentry...
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