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Construction

Build your career in construction

If you’re a hands-on, practical, and aspire to work in the trades – whether that’s bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, plastering, painting and decorating, or surveying, planning and design – you can make it your future career with our construction courses!

The construction industry in Wales is expected to grow faster than the rest of the UK! From the homes we live in to the roads we drive on, there’s many jobs available at all levels – so why not be a part of it?

Our campuses have all the facilities you need to prepare you for working on a construction site, with fully-equipped specialist workshops, plumbing bays, industry-standard equipment, IT suites with CAD design software and an ACS Gas Testing Centre – so you can gain practical experience and perfect the skills to become a successful tradesperson.

Alongside your hands-on training, you’ll also learn the theory behind the practice from our expert tutors. You’ll be able to plan effectively, use your creative skills and use basic maths like volumes, measurements and costings. You’ll learn how to use IT in business and develop your communications skills to contribute to an organisation and meet your customers’ needs.

Traditionally a skilled tradesperson qualifies to Level 3 or beyond and completes an apprenticeship working in their chosen trade, gaining experience on the job whilst studying at college. There can be a lot of competition for apprenticeship placements in the trades, so a full time construction course can give you a perfect grounding to gain an apprenticeship or go straight into the world of work. The opportunity at college can be in a single trade or in a range of related trades.

Check out our full time courses Check out our part time courses

Bricklaying

Learners join bricklaying courses for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s to obtain qualifications to work in industry or to learn enough skills to maintain and enhance their own properties.

Bricklayers can learn the skills to produce interesting and decorative features. The job itself can be physically demanding and the need for speed and accuracy is necessary when you’re experienced. The skills learned can be used in a variety of settings including new build, refurbishment or saving yourself money on home improvements. Many bricklayers have the skills to wall and floor tile, lay paving bricks/slabs, render walls and screed floors.

Site Carpentry & Bench Joinery

A carpentry course at Coleg Gwent will teach you the carpentry and joinery skills you need for a successful career in the sector. The two main roles include working as a carpenter or a joiner. A site carpenter works on building sites installing wood items including roof joists, doors finishing trims and kitchens, while a joiner makes the things that a carpenter installs. Bench joinery includes the making of stairs, cabinets and windows, but can also include furniture items. You’ll learn a combination of these skills on a course at Coleg Gwent, so you can progress onto becoming a carpenter or joiner using your skills in industry. The ability to use hand and power tools is essential and the opportunities are huge.

Painting & Decorating

Are you creative with a good eye for detail? A painting and decorating course opens up a variety of creative opportunities for your future career. Working as a painter and decorator allows you to finish the job that’s been constructed and ensure the final building is pleasing to the eye.

Painting and decorating demands good attention to detail and a desire to please the customer, as you’ll be perfecting the finishing touches both internally and externally from homes to bridges to ships! Jobs are varied in the field, working with housing associations, maintenance companies, private painting and decorating companies or you could even start your own business! These qualifications give you a variety of opportunities to illustrate your flair and talent.

Plastering

Plastering skills complement all other trades and include the mixing and use of plastering materials using plastering tools and techniques. A plasterer is an essential part of a construction team with a thorough knowledge of basic health and safety and efficient working practices when moving and handling resources, preparing background surfaces, applying finishing plaster, producing internal solid plastering and external render, installing dry linings, screeds and plasterboard. A job can’t be finished without a good plasterer!

Plumbing

Plumbing skills aren’t just essential in everyday life, but can provide a fantastic career. Good plumbing is vital for public health as plumbers deal with clean drinking water, sanitation and gas and heating systems. Our plumbing courses will introduce you to the plumbing industry and will allow you to develop basic skills and prepare you for further training which can lead to working in gas servicing and installation as a gas engineer. You don’t need any plumbing experience to join the Foundation in Plumbing – it is for anyone who is interested in entering the plumbing trade – and you can progress to a diploma or level 3 course in plumbing and heating too.

Electrical Installations

Putting the spark into our homes, offices and even farms, electricians work with cabling, light fittings and switches using the supply of power. With an electrician course, you’ll be clued up on the latest safety standards, offering a reliable service to customers.

A career as an electrician is highly varied and ranges from installing systems in new buildings to the maintenance of existing ones. Our full time electrical installations courses provide the first step toward qualified electrician status. Our electrical courses combine studies toward the City & Guilds Technical Certificates with a grounding in electrical principles and electrical safety, preparing you for your future career.

Technical Building Services

Following a career in surveying, planning or design requires a clear understanding of the industry. If you are a conscientious worker who is interested in how and why buildings are designed and built then a technical course is for you. Following technical courses will give you the skills needed for these careers. Whilst following these courses you will also undertake some trade skills options.

Multiskills

Thinking about a career in construction but unsure of which trade you’ll prefer? Why not try your hand at a variety of different construction and building tasks through our multiskills course? With this basic construction skills qualification, you can get a taste for a range of different trades to find out what you enjoy the most and give you a great foundation for working in the construction industry.

Construction skills qualifications are suitable for individuals of any age wanting an introduction to the construction industry, or for learners interested in learning more about construction jobs like plumbing, painting and decorating, carpentry and plastering. You don’t need any experience – you just need to be serious about having a go and seeing if construction is the right career for you.

As part of our multiskills courses, we’ll support you with improving the skills required in the construction industry such as literacy, numeracy and IT. Completion of this course can lead to further full time study and an apprenticeship (if suitable employment can be found).

Learner laying bricks

Construction

Staff at Blaenau Gwent

Bricklaying

Staff at Blaenau Gwent

Carpentry and Joinery

Staff at Blaenau Gwent

Painting and Decorating

Staff at Blaenau Gwent

Plumbing

Staff at Blaenau Gwent

Electrical Installations

Staff at Blaenau Gwent

Multiskills

Keian

Fabrication and Welding - Meet Keian

Jamie

Carpentry - Meet Jamie

Harrison

Painting and Decorating - Meet Harrison

Iwan

Plumbing - Meet Iwan

Tryston

Electrical Installations - Meet Tryston

Ben

MultiSkills – Meet Ben

John

Bricklaying - Meet John

23 courses available

“

My favourite part of my course is the practical work and learning how to use hand saws and power tools. The facilities are great, and the college has everything we need. It’s preparing us for the workplace and it’s set me up for my future and given me a good foundation in carpentry.

”

Jamie Harris
Level 2 Site Carpentry

Still not sure if this subject is for you?
Contact our Student Recruitment team

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