& ISSUE 02Winter 2013

NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE FACULTY OF CONSTRUCTION

AND RURAL INDUSTRIES

INSIDELocked Into Learning ............ Page 2Halfords Offer ....................... Page 2Plumbing Awards .................. Page 2Sprucing Up the College ...... Page 3Borders Bricklayers .............. Page 3Engineering Apprentices ...... Page 3Schools Link ......................... Page 4Skills for Work Initiative ........ Page 4

www.borderscollege.ac.uk

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

Hawick Golf Club Roof Repair

CITY & GUILDS full time Joinery students had the opportunity to enhance their employability

skills recently with a visit to Velux’s manufacturing and Technical Training Centre in Glenrothes, Fife.Upon arrival the students were greeted by Mark Dymond & Vannessa Mycoe then given a tour of the Velux Window manufacturing workshops. After this they returned to the training centre for lunch supplied for the students by Velux.

After lunch they moved onto the classroom where they were given roof window fitting instructions before moving onto the workshop and installing their windows. All students from Borders College were presented with a certificate for completing Velux’s best practice training course. We would like to thank Velux’s Mark Dymond & Vannessa Mycoe for giving expert advice and instruction throughout the day.

Construction Taster day for girls

Students Visit VELUX Technical Training Centre

IN MAY last year Full Time Plumbing, Joinery and Painting and Decorating students took on board an exciting challenge at Hawick Golf Club, to repair a slated pitched roof at the front of the clubhouse. This happened to be probably the best two weeks of the year with temperatures hitting the mid 20’s, excellent for outside work.This project started out as a small repair but soon escalated into a full-on strip and re-slate for the Plumbers along with a total strip down of all the roof sheeting, repairs to roof joists by the Joiners and a total freshen up of the paint work by the Painting and Decorating students. The students were now in a working environment and experiencing life within the workplace, having to be part of a team alongside other trades, problem solving and working with the public.There was a very positive feeling from all the students who took part in this placement including the following comments; “We should do more of this within the course” and “A great feeling of achievement”. This was backed up by the Joinery, Plumbing and Painting and Decorating students winning the Citizenship Award at the Construction Awards Ceremony in June.

NEWS

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ON THE 10th May 2012 we offered to our local high schools the opportunity for S4 girls to sample the skills required in three areas of construction -brickwork, plumbing, and painting and decorating.We were delighted 18 girls from Gala Academy and Hawick High School attended and gave us the stage to showcase the opportunities for all in construction. We were also keen to highlight the success and experience that is to be gained in taking part in skills competitions and how it can lead to the ultimate accolade of World Skills. We received excellent feedback from the schools that took part and they hope we can repeat the event in the future.

• CCN1 Reassessment• CCN1 Initial Assessment• LPG Changeover For further information please call Susan Maltman on 01896 662630 or email smaltman@borderscollege.ac.uk.AC

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Renewables TrainingIf you want to speak with someone regarding renewables training please call Susan Rennie on 01896 662578 or email srennie@borderscollege.ac.uk.

HALFORDS ARE helping Motor Vehicle students get on their way by offering trade discount of up to 60% off products in store which allows them to purchase tools and equipment from their vast range helping them pursue their chosen career and saving them money.Halfords has the UKs biggest car parts range at rock bottom trade prices!

Halfords Supporting

Motor Vehicle Students

IN PARTNERSHIP with Scottish Union Learning, UCATT accessed the Learning Fund to provide a short course in “Introduction to Locksmithing” to 14 learners in Aberdeenshire. Delivered by Borders College, the workers learned skills to repair, maintain and gain access to multi-point window and door locking systems. The course was held over two days in a training room and workshop provided by Bancon Construction. The diverse range of workers enrolled on the course were employed in both public and private sector organisations, including Bancon Construction, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council. The main structure of the course focused on non-destructive entry to doors fitted with multi-point locking

systems. The course was tailored to show learners how to gain access without causing unnecessary damage or cost. It also provided the opportunity for learners to practise the new techniques required to successfully meet thedemand for the development of new skills and learning. Joiner Scott Milne, Aberdeenshire Council, said, “I learned more about the topic and extended my skills.” Michael Conroy, UCATT Learning Organiser, said, “UCATT is proud of all our members who recently completed the basic locksmithing taster course. This type of learning offers members the opportunity for up-skilling to protect their current jobs as well as sustainable transferable skills which opens the doors to new opportunities for their future.”

Joiners Get Locked Into Learning with UCATT

BORDERS COLLEGE Motor Vehicle students are offering a FREE 58 point* winter vehicle check. Following information from the AA (http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/winter-checklist.html) and the RAC (http://www.rac.co.uk/advice/car-knowledge/videos/preparing-your-car-for-winter/) the Motor Vehicle students compiled their own check list and are offering it free to anyone who wishes to take up their offer which is allowing them to learn customer skills and develop a better understanding of a different range of vehicles.

Free Offer

Brickwork, Joinery, Plumbing, Painting and Decorating

Apply NOW for your career in construction at one of Scotland’s top collegesCall 01896 662516 or visit the website: www.borderscollege.ac.uk

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FIND OUT MORE...To find out about the wide range of

courses available from Borders College please visit our website

www.borderscollege.ac.uk or call our Student Advice Centre on

01896 662516

Winter CheckCould this be you?!!

Free 58 Point Vehicle Check*

For more Information, Contact

Borders College Motor Vehicle Department Galashiels

*Amount may vary depending on vehicle type

THE PLUMBING section of the department went to Telford College for the annual awards presentation night which is hosted by SNIPEF. The three students from Borders College came away with the prizes for Best First Year Apprentice (Kevin Bain), Best Second Year Apprentice (Ewan MacDougall) and Best Third Year Apprentice (Mitchell Simpson). And to top the night, Mitchell won the overall Third Year Apprentice award for all the collective Colleges involved, the David A Moore Trophy.

Plumbing Awards

Mitchell Simpson Kevin BainEwan MacDougall

THE PAINTING & Decorating department are currently trialing the new ‘Bio-Circle’ cleaning machine for the water and oil-based products that they use on a daily basis. This is to reduce the amount of waste products that may inevitably enter the water drainage system and help the department to meet their environmental and sustainable goals.All the students that use the workshop are getting a hands on chance of trying it out for themselves and are feeding back to the lecturers their views on its performance.If successful it will hopefully become a permanent feature within the workshop.Above is City & Guilds Student Craig Kirk demonstrating how it works.

Bio-Circle!

Borders Bricklayers Do Us Proud

THE PAINTING & Decorating department was approached by H.O.F Lynn Gilchrist to help freshen up part of the college corridors in preparation before some Art Work could be displayed. The department was more than happy to oblige as it gives the students a real life working scenario to help build upon their course work and reinforce practical skills gained.

The task was taken on by the female side of the new City & Guilds Painting & Decorating Progression course. The girls did a fantastic neat and tidy job and were a credit to themselves. This work will probably continue on around the College Campus so you should be seeing a busy painter sometime in a corridor near you in the future.Good job girls!

Sprucing Up The College

LAST YEAR the Electrical and Motor Vehicle department introduced a new NC Level six course for Electrical Engineering Apprentices employed in the regions manufacturing industries and also Full time Students wishing to pursue a career in the industry.Thirteen students are now making good progress and if successful will progress to HNC this year.

Engineering Apprentices On ScienceBORDERS COLLEGE had two Bricklaying

students representing them at the World Skills (Scotland) Awards Ceremony in Glasgow on Tuesday 21st November 2012.They were Daryl Brown, who is currently employed by JMS Harkin Ltd of Jedburgh, and Greg Fenton, currently a second year student who is employed by Border Construction of Carlisle.Daryl won the Gold Award and Greg the Silver Award for finishing 1st and 2nd respectively in the Scottish heat of Skillbuild held at Angus College earlier in 2012.This is a great achievement, not just for the region, but also for the college, the employers and most importantly the students themselves.

To have travelled to Angus College and competed against the best students from all other colleges in Scotland and come away with a first and second is exceptional to say the least. As their Course Tutor and on behalf of my colleagues I would like to thank the students for their commitment but most importantly their respective employers for their dedication and support in allowing their students the time required to prepare and compete in these competitions as without their backing there would not be any students to enter into such competitions.Hopefully in the years to come we can continue to have success and keep the student, employer and college link thriving for years to come.Rob Borthwick, Lecturer

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Tasha White, Michelle Cree, Rubina B

THE SCHOOLS Link programme was rolled out to two new clients, Berwickshire and Eyemouth High Schools, this academic session. Borders College already delivers the Skills for Work programme at Earlston and Hawick High Schools. The two

groups comprise of S4 and S5 students at Berwickshire and Eyemouth. To date they have completed SQA Brickwork units and will undertake SQA Painting and Decorating units in Term 2. The Skills for Work programme gives the students an opportunity to enhance

their practical skills in construction disciplines allied to employability skills - an important part of what employers require from future entrants to the Construction Industry or any industry they might choose as their future careers.

AS A result of recently completing the copper pipe work assessment successfully, we decided to push the pupils a little bit to further develop their pipe bending ability by introducing a small skills competition. Working in pairs the pupils had to plan, measure, cut, bend and fabricate a pipe work model using a variety of

different fittings and machine bends. The teams were marked not only on using their own initiative but also their ability to work collectively. The finished models were then pressure tested producing some excellent results. Prizes (Mars Bars!!) were awarded to all the competitors for their hard work and input towards the tasks.

Schools Link Grows

Skills for Work Initiative at Earlston and Hawick High Schools

Borders College, Head Office, Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HE Charity No. SC021180

www.borderscollege.ac.uk • Tel. 08700 50 51 52

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Pupils who recently undertook Plumbing units within the Skills for Work initiative