Skillbuild 2015

On Tuesday the 23rd of June 2015 the Construction department took 6 of our learners to compete in the Yorkshire and Humber regional heat of the Skillbuild competition at Hull college.

The team consisted of 2 Bricklayers, 2 Plasterers and 2 Painters and Decorators, with Jess Heath & Alfie Robson taking part in the New Entrant category and Trent Johnson, Alex Whittington, Liam Schofield and Jim Wroe competing in Senior competitions.

The different competition tasks vary according to the trade, but all of the competitors are challenged to create a piece of work to correct specifications and are marked on accuracy, skill and attention to detail. To be chosen to take part in the event the students have shown great promise to their tutors and it is an accolade to be invited to represent Barnsley College in the biggest Construction skills event of the year.

Here are a few photos from the event:

As you can see from the photographs, all our students did extremely well in their allocated task. They had to work for the entire day to create the pieces specified by the judges, who then marked the work in the brief interval before the award ceremony.

The presentation was hosted by a spokesperson from Hull College and all the staff and students from the participating colleges gathered together for the results. Team Barnsley College did really well with certificates and medals being awarded to 3 of our students. Alfie Robson won the New Entrant category in the Plastering competition, with Jim Wroe gaining 3rd place in the Senior Plastering contest. Jess Heath was really pleased to be awarded first place in the New Entrant Painting & Decorating category and hopes to continue her competition career next year. Trent Johnson was not awarded a medal, but we have been reliably informed that he came 4th in the Brickwork Seniors, missing out on joint third place by only 1 point.

A great day was had by the staff and students who attended Skillbuild 2015 and we hope the learners are eager to take part in future competitions. Well done to everyone who competed and thanks to Hull College and the Skillbuild team for organizing the event.
#skillbuild2015

Vicky's Work Placement with ESH Property Services

One of our Bricklaying students has just undertaken some work experience with ESH Property Services as part of the departments new initiative to seek out work placement opportunities for all our learners.

Vicky Thornton has done really well working on site and is enjoying gaining the site experience. Here are a few photographs from her placement:

ESH is one of the leading construction companies in the north of England and is involved with several big building projects in our area. We really appreciate that they have given Vicky a chance to demonstrate her abilities and gain a greater knowledge of life in the construction sector. Here is a link to their Facebook page if you would like to find out more about the company: https://www.facebook.com/eshholdings

If you would be interested in undertaking similar work experience opportunities then please watch out for posts from our new Work Placement Officer Nicola Barrett on the Construction at Barnsley College Facebook page.

Alternatively, if you are a company who could offer one of our students an opportunity to gain vital work experience then please refer to the information below:

 The Construction department is committed to offering our students the best opportunities for future employment within the sector and hope that we can continue to give our learners the best chance of a prosperous future when they progress beyond their studies.

Guild of Bricklayers Competition 2015

Last Friday (June 5th 2015) two of our Bricklayers, Josh Kelly and Trent Johnson, competed at the Guild of Bricklayers regional heat at Bishop Burton college.

Josh had entered as a new entrant, but was upgraded to compete in the junior competition, while Trent represented Barnsley College in the senior contest.

Both students did extremely well and worked under competition conditions to build their models to the judge's standards.

Trent came 3rd place in the senior competition and was awarded a shield trophy for his efforts. Josh managed to gain 4th place, despite being upgraded to the more difficult category.

We are very pleased with the outcome for both students and hope they enjoyed taking part in the competition. Here are a few photos from the event: