Construction

CONSTRUCTION COURSES FOR 16-19 YEAR OLDS

The South West’s construction industry annual recruitment requirement of 2.6% per year, is the strongest across the UK and means an extra 32,000 new workers are needed between the end of 2020 and 2025.

Our outstanding range of courses are taught by experienced professionals in high-quality facilities, and provide qualifications that are recognised across the industry.

Use this page to discover your perfect career and associated course options - Vocational qualifications (full-time in the campus workshops) or Apprenticeships in the workplace.

As a Weston College student you will become part of our exciting new Construction Career Excellence Hub. Your study programme will have lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of giving you the opportunity to become career ready! This includes unrivalled exposure to employers, enhanced work experience, employer visits and more...
Our Construction Career Excellence Hub endorsers include:

Find out more

Job Roles in the West of England Currently Include:

WHAT OUR PARTNERS SAY...

We’re delighted to be involved with the Construction Career Excellence Hub. It gives learners the chance to hear from and speak to industry professionals and hear what it is really like to have a career within the construction industry. They can see the breadth of careers our industry has to offer.

Danielle Haskings

Social Value Manager, Wilmott Dixon

The Construction Career Excellence Hub presents an exciting opportunity for us to invest in local talent and develop learners who could become the future leaders in our business.
Weston College is the perfect location for people to develop their construction skills, and we are thrilled to play a role in your development and offer further assistance on your journey into our industry.

David Bowdley

Operations Director, Galliford Try

OUR CONSTRUCTION VIDEOS

Industry Facts

A career in construction can involve all kinds of settings and skills. It could range from working on building sites for new builds, to renovations, to creating beautifully crafted furniture. Led by experienced professionals, with great links with local employers to help launch your career, our courses are designed to give you the skills that will prepare you for employment.

Over 53,000 construction companies in the South West

Electrical professionals can earn up to £45,000 a year

Over 11,000 building projects across the South West

Over 2.7 million employees in the construction industry in the UK

Facilities

The South West Skills Campus offers state-of-the-art training facilities dedicated to construction training.

Facilities

The South West Skills Campus offers state-of-the-art training facilities dedicated to construction training.
These include:

Large, well-equipped training workshops for each trade area.
Excellent links with national and local employers to enrich your training.
Industry-standard materials testing lab.
Excellent array of tools and equipment, ranging from power tools to digital surveying equipment.
Carpentry woodworking machine shop, with industry approved machinery.
Suites of computers with 3D software such as AutoCad.

Renewable technologies such as biomass and ground- source heat pumps.
Outdoor working arena.
Fast, free and secure WiFi connection.
Specialised software packages for individual subjects.
A well-resourced library including e-resources and laptop loan service.
Access to a large number of high specification PCs, laptops, and digital hardware.

LATEST NEWS

31 Mar 2025

5 students and 3 residents sat on and around the bench smiling

<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; target="_blank">Construction</a> students have been making a real difference in their community by crafting and donating handmade benches to local care homes in Weston-super-Mare.  This initiative took place over the course of three days, with students from various construction disciplines working extremely hard to create these high-quality benches. They even added a Weston College plaque to each bench which read, "Weston College Benches & Biscuits Initiative: Building a Community, One Seat at a Time".Each group of students hand-delivered their bench along with a box of biscuits, spending an hour with the residents over a warm cup of tea. This thoughtful visit provided a fantastic opportunity for intergenerational bonding, as students and residents shared stories, laughter, and meaningful conversations. <drupal-entity alt=""5 plastering students sat on the bench they made smiling, with 1 student holding a box of shortbread biscuits for the residents"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5346d179-482d-415e-864c-397c2b1aa133" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> The benches were delivered to Dewdown House, The Manor in Uphill, St George’s Care Home, Beach Lawns Nursing Home, and Acer House. They were placed in outdoor spaces, where residents can enjoy them all year round, particularly during the warmer months.The care home residents were delighted with their new outdoor seating, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the students’ hard work and craftsmanship. Many residents were extremely impressed by the quality of the benches and appreciated the chance to interact with young people, fostering a strong sense of community spirit.  The experience was equally rewarding for the students, who enjoyed hearing stories from the past and learning about life in different generations. Conversations ranged from family histories to career aspirations, leaving a lasting impact on both students and residents alike. In addition to their generous donations to care homes, the students also crafted three extra benches which were auctioned off in a charity silent auction. The proceeds from the auction went towards supporting Weston Hospicecare and The Grand Appeal as part of RAG Week fundraising efforts.  The highest three bidders received a beautifully handcrafted bench, with all funds directly benefiting these important local charities. This initiative is a testament to the skill, dedication, and generosity of Weston College’s construction students.  Their work has not only provided practical benefits but also brought joy and companionship to the elderly residents of their community. <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; target="_blank">You can find out more about out our construction courses, by clicking here.</a>

Construction Students Build Community Spirit with Handmade Benches

26 Mar 2025

Georgie Thomson talking about her experiences with T Level Construction students

As part of National Careers Week and Women in Construction Week, our Year 1 T Level learners in Design, Surveying, and Planning for Construction welcomed Georgia Thomson, Business Development Manager at Lancer Scott Facilities Management for a special guest lecturer. Georgia delivered an engaging and insightful presentation about her career journey in the construction industry. She shared the challenges she has faced and overcome as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, inspiring learners with her perseverance and achievements. Beyond her role at Lancer Scott, Georgia is an active committee member of the Women in Property organisation. She emphasised the importance of building a strong support network, encouraging learners to seek mentors, connect with peers, and engage with professional groups to enhance their careers. During the session, Georgia prompted discussion by asking learners what challenges women face in construction today and how more women could be encouraged to join the industry. This led to a thoughtful interaction among the students where they exchanged ideas. The session concluded with a Q&A, where learners had the opportunity to ask Georgia questions before expressing their gratitude for her time and invaluable insights into the industry. Daniel Comerford, one of our Construction Professions Lecturer, said, “Georgia’s talk was incredibly insightful and inspiring for our learners.  “She provided a real-world perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the construction industry, particularly for women.  “Her journey and advice on building a strong professional network resonated with our students, sparking meaningful discussions about inclusivity in the sector. We are grateful for her time and the valuable knowledge she shared.” <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/const…; target="_blank">Find out more about our Construction Professions courses, by clicking here.</a>  This guest speaker forms part of the Construction Careers Excellence Hub. The College has fourteen sector-specific Career Excellence Hubs, which evidence our dedication to supporting both employers and learners in achieving their future goals. By creating a seamless connection between industry and education, we enable learners to acquire not only the essential skills and knowledge but also the professional networks necessary to excel in their chosen fields.

Georgie Thomson Inspires Women in Construction

10 Dec 2024

Recently, a group of our year 1 <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/surve…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/surve…; target="_blank">Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level</a> learners took to Birmingham to visit the UK Construction Week event at the National Exhibition Centre. This event is the UK’s largest built environment trade show, where construction professionals can explore the latest innovations, gain insights from across the industry and network with their peers, with over three leading brands being displayed. Learners were shown a variety of different products and materials, including electric diggers, fireproof materials, turnstiles, health and safety equipment and much more. This allowed the students to get a feel for everything, discover the international exhibitors’ products, and meet lots of new people. <drupal-entity alt=""Learners talking to industry professionals at stalls"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="40545782-5523-4c61-a022-1f1373e37d78" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> On top of this, there were also several gifts and freebies available from many of the stalls, including items like pens, pads, bags, tool kits, t-shirts, hats and caps, as well as a selection of sweets and chocolates which kept the excitement going throughout the day! All the learners actively engaged with everyone, talking to stall holders and asking questions regarding their products. The stall holders explained their exhibitions in detail to the students and were very impressed with our learners and the intuitive questions and incites they had.  <drupal-entity alt=""Learner trying out a product from one of the stalls"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d9f7e422-4fd6-47af-a55e-613852b5c3ba" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> Daniel Comerford, a Construction lecturer at Weston College, said, “All of the learners on the trip had a great time at the show and enjoyed talking to all the different companies that were exhibiting.  This improved their communication skills but also taught them about new and emerging products and technologies within the UK Construction Industry.” This day acted as a good introduction for their Construction T Level as it gave them a better understanding of not only the different available pathways they could enter, but also the existing companies and opportunities that they could experience both during their time at college and after. It also allowed the students to get to know each other better and work with peers that they may not have previously had the chance to get to know. Overall, the learners learnt a lot about new products and emerging technologies. They also got the chance to improve their professional skills by communicating with industry professionals and network with them for possible opportunities in the future. <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/surve…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/surve…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to our Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning T Level in September, click here.</a>

Construction Learners Visit UK Construction Week