Students’ bricklaying skills help to restore Oadby bungalow

Bricklaying students from North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) @nwslc_official have put their skills to the test in a live project to help a pensioner by rebuilding the garden wall at his home. Michael Adams from Oadby, who is disabled, reached out to the college to offer the students’ live work experience.

Michael, who used to work in education for adults with special educational needs and disabilities, knew that the college support local community projects and contacted the team at its Wigston Campus. Bricklaying tutors Alan Creighton and Geoff Aldridge offered the services of six students on the college’s construction programme who worked to dismantle and reassemble the garden wall around Michael’s bungalow, putting the skills they are learning in the workshop into practice.

Alan said,

“This has been a fantastic opportunity for our construction students to showcase their skills in a live environment, working outdoors in all weathers to a set timescale. Real life work opportunities help students to tackle the sorts of problems they will be faced with when they join the industry. It helps them to become work-ready and more employable at the end of their course. As a college that operates at the heart of its community, we are happy to help individuals and organisations where we can.”

Michael said,

“The students have been great, very polite, and well organised. They are great ambassadors for the college. Getting my wall re-built has made an enormous difference to our lives and given me peace of mind.”    

Marion Plant, Principal and CEO of NWSLC said,

“Colleges make such a difference in their local communities including by helping out with projects like this. NWSLC is proud to be one of 130 colleges that participate in the ‘Good for Me, Good for FE’ campaign which has generated more than £4M of social value over the last two years.”