A strong start for new T Level Construction students

Just like in the construction industry, where a strong foundation is key, our new Design, Surveying, and Planning for Construction T Level students have built a solid platform for success this term. Since the course launched in September the students have covered aspects of health and safety training, vocational introductions, with talks at the College from Kier and Barnwood Construction, as well as several trips, including an HS2 site in Bicester, Trinity House, HMP Bullingdon, and a morning at Beard Construction HQ.

They kicked off our academic year with a return to EKFB's Making Tracks Construction Gala, an immersive careers event where students got hands on experience with VR simulators, STEM activities, green careers workshops, and exploring crane and digger cabs.

Site visit to Trinity by Breakthrough

Their first site visit to Trinity by Breakthrough proved a fantastic chance to link classroom theory with live construction practice. Delivered by McLaughlin & Harvey, Trinity is a cutting-edge life sciences development under construction in Oxford, designed to deliver one of the most sustainable laboratory environments in the world.

Students had the rare opportunity to see the structure up-close, walk through service areas, and access the upper floors, to get a first-hand feel for the scale and quality of the project. They also got to meet Senior Project Manager, Gerald Brannigan, to hear first-hand about the challenges and rewards of delivering a project of such scale.

Mock tender work experience day with Kier

The students also took part in a Mock tender work experience day with Kier Construction, working on a £50 million shopping centre project. Hosted by Clare Bing from Kier, the students explored roles like designer, project manager, estimator and sustainability lead, through hands on-role play, followed by a site tour of Project T60 at HMP Bullingdon.

Throughout the day, they applied classroom knowledge in maths, business, design and sustainability to tackle complex project challenges, develop teamwork and communication skills, and deliver professional tender presentations. The results were fantastic, including innovative, sustainable proposals for shopping centres in Laos, UK and Dubai; with each group balancing architectural blends, community needs, green technologies, local eco system and habitations, location and commercial viability.

Tower challenge

Claire also joined our T Level students on campus to take part in this fast-paced hands-on simulation designed to test collaboration, planning and problem-solving skills. Students were challenged to build the tallest freestanding tower using 240 dominoes within set time and design constraints. Through the task, they learned the importance of precision, patience, communication, teamwork, and balancing creativity with rules. The result was a successful tower that met all requirements, delighted the client, and was completed on time and within budget.

Breakfast morning with Beard Construction

Our T Level students also spent an inspiring breakfast morning with Beard Construction, at their headquarters in Cumnor. The session led by Dean Averies, Adrian Cook, and Rachel Bird, introduced students to Beard’s core values of being friendly, efficient, and committed; and their drive for continuous improvement in the construction sector.

A highlight of the morning was a speed networking event, whereby students connected with Beard professionals exploring sector specialisms and the skills needed to thrive in modern construction careers, including project management, contracts, bids, design, site management, and estimating.

Employer guest week with Barnwood

Joe Tancel and Gemma Cox from Barnwood were invited for a guest talk and project overview, offering insight into a day in the life of a trainee site manager. Gemma and Joe shared details of several exciting projects underway across Oxford, including Project Zeus, Nebula, The Bee House, and CABI. They also spoke about what students can expect from an industry placement with Barnwood, highlighting the types of activities and experiences involved.

Following the talk, Gemma and Joe provided valuable CV-building support, offering advice on what employers look for and how students can stand out in a competitive field.

We look forward to hearing more from our T Level students about their interesting trips and site visits; continuing to connect with and learn from the cutting edge of the construction industry.

A huge thank you to all the employers we work with for sharing real world industry knowledge and experience with our students – and inspiring the next generation of construction professionals!