Qualification: BTEC First Certificate in Construction and BTEC First Diploma in Construction

Equivalent to:4 GCSEs at A*-C

Point Score: tbc

Level:2

Code: 500/1396/8 and 500/1397/X

Exam board:Edexcel

Location: Construction Design Centre,Kier Site,Manor Lane,Sheffield

Transport: Public transport

Dress Code: Overalls, boots, helmets and other safety equipment provided.

Time of Sessions: To be decided by Construction Design Centre

Entry Requirements: Level 5 SATs and an interest in the construction industry

Length of course:1 day a week for 2 years

Assessment and Reporting Arrangements: Progress reviews to school

Funding: £15 per student per day in year 1 and TBA per student per day in year 2

Behaviour Code: Training provider behaviour code. Health & Safety requirements non-negotiable

Maximum Number: 10

Lunches: Own sandwiches or sandwiches can be arranged.Free school meals can be arranged.

Contact details: Referrals through ECT. No student may start without a fully completed and signed Referral Form. Richard Vernon (0114) 203 7106

Induction Arrangements: Group/parental visits welcome by arrangement. Visit to provider in June.

Opportunities in Construction
There is a national shortage of skilled people across the whole of the industry - carpenters & joiners, managers, quantity surveyors, plumbers, bricklayers, technicians, plasterers are just some of the jobs that need more people. In Sheffield and across South Yorkshire there are many job opportunities available as there are so many big building projects scheduled for at least the next ten years. This is why salaries in construction are quite high compared to other industries. You really can be guaranteed work for life if you learn a skill in Construction.

If a young person already has a FCA, it will give them a head start. Very often young people who have been on construction courses like the FCA will have had a chance to learn the basics of a number of trades - bricklaying, carpentry, painting and decorating, plastering - this makes them useful for an employer even if they haven't yet developed the speed and skills in their particular trade. Also important is that a young person has tried out different construction trades and knows what trade they want to specialise in before they commit themselves to an apprenticeship.

Post 16 progression into Construction
At age 16 you have a number of options within construction available to you.
· Go to college full time and study for a BTEC, National Diploma or NVQ ICA. Check the college's prospectus for more information. (www.sheffcol.ac.uk)
· Apply for a CITB apprenticeship. You have to sit an entrance test and if accepted you spend four days a week with a construction company & one day a week in college. The company pays you a training allowance whilst you work towards your NVQs.
· Apply for an Apprenticeship with a company that offers training. To do this you need to contact different companies and ask them if they accept trainees. You will get paid a training allowance.
· Go to a Training Provider, like Henry Boots Training and work towards your NVQs. You will get paid a training allowance.
· Do A-levels and then study a construction degree at University.

Why choose a career in construction?
Working in the Construction Industry offers the opportunity to develop a definite skill. The satisfaction of working with materials and producing a real product at the end of the day - be it a section of wall, a door frame, a section of plastering, part of the development of a new motorway or designing a new building. Skilled construction professionals usually derive a great deal of pride from their work. They know that they can be part of a large team creating working on real projects that greatly improve the lives of people in the community or work directly with customers to help them in their own homes.
Earnings can be very good - particularly if you are ready to be mobile, even outside the UK. There are opportunities to be your own boss or to work in a small business. Construction workers often work closely with one another in teams. Much construction involves physical activity and quite a lot - though not all - involves some outdoor work. Work is based around a particular job, construction workers will have the chance to work on different projects, in different places for different customers so there can be great variety. There are increasingly opportunities for construction workers to work abroad - particularly in Europe.

Further Information
www.bconstructive.co.uk for information about careers in the Construction industry.
www.citb.co.uk/careers
www.apprenticeships.org.uk for more information about Apprenticeships.