Youngsters, who are working towards their SQA qualification in construction, built a wooden workshop, using a power saw to repurpose leftover timber.
Construction Instructor Craig is an experienced joiner who mentors young people interested in learning a trade. Craig motivates the aspiring apprentices to get involved in a wide range of development projects, becoming confident in using different tools safely, taking measurements, and building pieces into place. He wants young people to take pride in what they are working on and makes the time to share the purpose and function of the build. By being interested from the start, young people are more likely to pay close attention to detail throughout the manual process and realise the reward in watching their progression be the reason for a visible transformation.
The Skills Academy is Kibble’s education and training centre that helps young people prepare for the world of work. Pupils who may not have enjoyed going to school before, now have the opportunity to try a new learning environment. Within the academy, there are dedicated areas for each subject. There’s our car garage for mechanics, greenhouses for gardening, and a large open-plan space to build, bricklay and operate machinery for construction.
An essential part of being a joiner is woodwork, and when teaching, pieces of wood need to be cut with power saws. To help contain the dust, an enclosed workshop within the shared space would be useful, and the opportunity to build one happened when a previous project had leftover timber. Immediately, Craig envisioned a plan for a wooden structure, big enough to house the large power saw and cut wood.
Instructor Craig and the students worked together and an an impressive structure is beginning to take shape within the construction site at The Skills Academy in Hillington.
Craig explained the thought required: “A lot of work went into the build, and there are still stages to go through before it becomes a workable area. All the slats of timber had to be cut to the exact brick size of 200mm x 70mm for the brick-slip look.”
“I really try to use my imagination to set up fun and valuable projects that young people will buy into. I know myself how much more enjoyable it is to complete a project you can visualise.”
“I want them to stay committed and see the project through, even with all the ups and downs that come with being a teenager figuring out their path. Hopefully they’ll learn a bigger life lesson and prove to themselves that they can finish what they start – even if life gets complicated.”
Kibble is striving to become more environmentally conscious and The Skills Academy has a dedicated Green Skills and Sustainability Instructor. Recycling materials in our lessons is one way we incorporate sustainability.
Through practical projects and a commitment to sustainable practices, these young people are not only building their skills but also shaping a brighter future for themselves and the community.
I want them to be dedicated to completing the project and stick to the course in amongst the challenges of being a teenager and contemplating the future.
Kibble is striving to become more environmentally conscientious and The Skills Academy has a dedicated Green Skills and Sustainability Instructor. Recycling materials as part of our lessons is an example of us incorporating sustainability.