Barnsley College Construction students get insight in live classroom

Barnsley College Construction students are receiving a first-hand insight into the various stages of a live construction site at the Honeywell campus.

T Level Construction Design, Surveying and Planning students are paying regular visits to the site of the College’s new £3.5m automotive centre, which is expected to be completed by September 2023.

The centre will give the next generation of automotive students access to state-of-the-art facilities that will prepare them to meet the future demands of the sector, such as the latest motor vehicle training technology and electric vehicles.

The students have been able to see the theoretical knowledge covered in their course being put into practice, along with modern construction methods and technologies. This has included the elements which are carried out off site to reduce the number of personnel on site and reduce the risk of injury.

In addition, the group have been shown all areas of the site by Site Manager Charley Smith from NU Construction, as well as a full rundown of how each section operates. Charley also explained his role at NU Construction and discussed the various roles available in the Construction industry.

Stewart Quayle, Head of Construction at Barnsley College, said:

“The closer we can get our students to industry, the more prepared they will be for the world of work. The automotive centre site has become a real live classroom for our students to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they will need to become the next generation of industry professionals.

“NU Construction is a modern, forward-thinking construction company which understands the importance of securing future staffing by training young people to fill current local and national vacancies in an industry that currently has job opportunities across all careers.”

Simon Smith, Managing Director at NU Construction, added:

“It is great to engage with this group of enthusiastic students and share some of our expertise with them as they embark on their journey within the construction industry.

“We have arranged these visits for the students as we are passionate about giving back to the community.”

Barnsley College offers a range of study programmes including full and part-time vocational courses, apprenticeships, T Levels and university-level courses.

There’s still time for 16 to 18-year-olds not currently in education, employment or training to apply for this academic year. Through a personalised timetable they could build their skills for the future – whether it’s a mix of art, engineering, digital and fashion; or construction, catering, games design, music, or anything in between.