Bicester Construction Skills Centre

"I have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to help design the new gas training and assessment centre in Bicester. I am currently installing the equipment which will support the apprentices learning experience. I am looking forward to meeting the local employers and their apprentices who will join our new centre when it opens.

We are building some of the best facilities in the area which will support the students’ learning and provide them with the widest possible experience in the industry.

The apprentices will have access to some of the latest appliances and training material thanks to direct links with manufacturers such as Worcester Bosch."

"I enjoy being able to pass skills and knowledge onto a new generation of carpenters, and the buzz I get when they complete work on their own to a high standard. I also like building relationships with the students and watching them grow in confidence both in their carpentry skills but also as young people ready for the workplace.

They can grow as a person, improving their confidence and social skills learning from other students, qualifying their understanding through activities and practical application within the classroom and workshops. This builds the camaraderie between students making for a positive learning experience."

"The best thing about working at the college is working closely with apprentices and employers to help them achieve their goals, whatever their backgrounds and previous experience. As a former apprentice myself I remember that so much of the knowledge I gained at college was not relevant in the workplace, so making sure that we deliver high quality training that makes a difference in the workplace is really important to me. After working in FE for 9 years and watching apprentices be successful on their course and then following their progress as they move on to run their own business or gain promotions is very satisfying.

Particularly for apprentices who are working in SMEs, college provides the opportunity to talk to other apprentices in similar positions to get a broader understanding of how it feels to be an apprentice. College also gives the chance for apprentices to explore different ways of carrying out tasks - in construction there are always four or five ways of doing anything, so being able to discuss and debate different approaches is really important. For some students it can also be a really big jump into the workplace, and college provides a really important bridge between school or full-time college, and work, as well as giving students the opportunity to learn from lecturers who were all once working in trades themselves."