Construction students get an insight into industry

Forty-five Abingdon & Witney College Level 1 and Level 2 Carpentry students, based at our Witney campus at the Construction Skills Centre, made the short journey to the Common Leys campus in Hailey on Tuesday.

They were there to get a closer look at the construction of the College’s new Livestock Technology Centre, a £1.7m hub that will house livestock pens, tractor equipment, and classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment.

Work began on 10 July 2018 and is due to complete in December, ready for occupancy in January 2019, with company EG Carter & Co responsible for the building work.

They firmly believe in engaging with their clients and, if they are in the education sector, that means hosting visits by students to give them an insight into what skills are needed in this growing sector.

Gavin Carter, the Site Supervisor, is the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the industry after his great-grandfather Edward George Carter founded the business in 1945.

Gavin was on-hand to take the students through the various processes of the building work of the Livestock Technology Centre, such as how the strip foundations were created over-sized to take account of the ground conditions.

L-R: Gavin Carter, Charlie Mann, and course tutor Gerry Kane

The visit included a tour of the new entre, where Gavin got students to answer questions on the initial briefing, as well as pointing out new standards in health and safety, which included fire prevention standards that had been adopted since the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Student Charlie Mann, 16, from Coombe near Woodstock is on the Level 1 course: “It’s been a great visit – seeing how you might work on site gives you an overview of the roles that you can move into in construction. After Christmas, we must choose a specialism, either Bench Joinery or Carpentry, and this has certainly helped make up my mind”.

The centre has been designed by Robothams Architects, and this is the third time these companies have worked together with the College.

November 2018