Michael
I am a Brickwork tutor here at the College and was offered the opportunity to take one day a week out of work to study for this undergraduate qualification. Before I got into teaching, I’d been a Bricklayer from the age of 15. I’ve always been interested in the technical side of construction, as well as management, so when the opportunity arose to study this in more detail, I was keen to accept.
I’m really enjoying gaining a broader knowledge of the construction process; things that you don’t necessarily learn being in a trade, such as planning laws and building regulations. My favourite part of the course, however, is the 3D modeling programme we use, called Revvit, and the work on surveying. It’s also good to work alongside other students on my course who have come from different areas of the industry, for instance, one is a maintenance manager at the hospital. There’s also a good mix of ages.
It’s been challenging getting back into education alongside work and I feel it will be well earned when I qualify at the end of the three years! My tutors are brilliant; it’s not always easy to teach your colleagues, but they have been completely professional throughout.
I’ve been teaching for the last seven years – first in a Youth Offenders prison and then here at the College – and I intend to continue teaching once I finish the course. The qualification will enable me to teach within the technical department as well, so I’ll have more options. If ever I decided not to teach, I’d love to pursue a career in construction management.
