Build a house!

College construction lessons could soon be the real deal
OLDHAM College is laying the foundations for construction students’ future success — by helping them build a two-storey house in its grounds.

A forward-thinking college tutor has come up with the recession-busting way of getting his students the skills they need.

Fed-up with struggling to find his students work placements, college tutor Luke Kirkpatrick is proposing to turn land at the college into a proper building site and with the help of his students build the house. This, he hopes, will give them the real-life experience they’ll need for the world of work.

The young builders are currently busy designing the property that could, depending on planning permission, be constructed during the summer.

When complete it will be used as as rolling training project.

Mr Kirkpatrick said: “At the moment if they’re doing brickwork models they have to tear them down because we don’t have the space to keep them.

“It can be quite disheartening. A lot of builders are struggling and I was finding it difficult to get the students any experience of the real world of work.

“I began looking around for spare land when I suddenly thought ‘why not do it within the college?’”

Budding builders will construct the basic structure and roof, but Mr Kirkpatrick hopes a whole army of students will jump at the chance to be involved.

It is hoped plumbers, electricians and plasterers could then be brought in to kit out the house and gain vital experience in the process.

Green technology students could explore innovative methods and materials to make the home energy efficient while those exploring the needs of the visually impaired could use the home to test property adaptations.

Mr Kirkpatrick added: “I’m hoping that the project will be a real showcase of what our students can do and it’ll be great to show to employers.

“This is a great opportunity and the students are already really positive about it.

“At first people thought it was a bit crazy but now they have really got on board and this could be a real success story.”

The impassioned tutor is now calling on local businesses to donate materials to help the plans leap off the page and become a reality.

Mr Kirkpatrick said: “We’ve got the tools but we haven’t got any materials, we need everything from concrete to windows and doors. We really need local businesses to get behind us and help make this happen.”

Anyone who thinks they could help with materials should contact Mr Kirkpatrick at Luke.Kirkpatrick@oldham.ac.uk