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Newcastle College Construction 8

College 16 to 18

Construction

If you love working with your hands and want to learn skills that will always be in high-demand, a career in construction could be right for you. From Plastering and Painting, to Carpentry, Joinery or Roofing, a Construction course at Newcastle College can craft your future.

As a Construction student, you'll be based in our Construction Technical Academy, which replicates different building site environments. You'll learn from experienced tradesmen in real working environments to develop your skills and gain hands-on experience. 

Through our close links with local and national employers, you'll get insight into the construction industry and have the chance to take part in competitions and trade-shows across the country, as well as community and charity projects in the local area.

With most of our courses you'll also be able to gain your CSCS card, which allows you to work on building sites.

Next Event

January Open Event

Rye Hill Campus Wednesday 8th January 2025 4:45pm - 7:00pm Find out more

What can I study?

Bricklaying - Level 1

Are you keen to learn the craft of bricklaying?  This Bricklaying course will help you to develop the skills, knowledge and experience you need to succeed as a bricklayer. 

Length: 1 year
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Carpentry and Joinery - Level 1

Do you enjoy learning in a hands-on way? This Carpentry and Joinery course is the perfect introduction to the construction industry and an opportunity to specialise in working with wood. 

Length: 1 year
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Painting and Decorating - Level 1

Learn all the skills you need to become a professional painter and decorator, from health and safety to preparing surfaces, to the art of applying paint and papers. 

Length: 1 year
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Plastering - Level 1

Plastering is one of the most ancient building techniques. If you are looking for a flexible career with the opportunity to work for yourself, then this Plastering course would be a great start.

Length: 1 year
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Plumbing - Level 2

Explore a wide range of industry areas including scientific principles, design and installation and maintenance of plumbing systems. 

Length: 1 year
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Electrical Installation - Level 2

Develop the skills needed to enter the electrotechnical industry such as principles of electrical science, inspection and testing, and electrical system diagnosis.

Length: 1 year
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Electrotechnical Engineering (Construction: Building Services Engineering) - Level 3*

This T-Level in Electrotechnical Engineering will help you to develop the required skills to work in the Building Services Engineering industry specialising as an installation or maintenance electrician.

Length: 2 years
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus

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Good to know

Meet The Students and Tutors

What can I do with a Construction qualification?

Daily tasks:

  • Levels, aligns and embeds stone in mortar and faces brick, concrete or steel frame with stone to make and repair structures.
  • Uses hand and power tools to shape, trim, carve, cut letters in and polish stone.
  • Spreads mortar on foundations and bricks, and places, levels and aligns bricks in mortar bed.
  • Marks and cuts stone using hammers, mallet and hand or pneumatic chisels.
  • Examines drawings, photographs and specifications to determine job requirements.

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Median Salary

£26,494 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Seals edges of roof with mortar and ensures that joints are watertight.
  • Lays, aligns and secures successive overlapping layers of roofing material.
  • Lays and secures underfelt and covers with hot bitumen or other adhesive compound.
  • Cuts wooden battens, felt and underfelt to required size.
  • Measures roof or exterior wall and calculates required amounts of underfelt, tiles, slates or thatching material.

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Median Salary

£24,498 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Repairs burst pipes and mechanical and combustion faults and replaces faulty taps, washers, valves, etc.
  • Attaches fittings and joins piping by welding, soldering, cementing, fusing, screwing or other methods.
  • Tests completed installation for leaks and makes any necessary adjustments.
  • Installs fittings such as storage tanks, cookers, baths, toilets, taps and valves, refrigerators, boilers, radiators and fires.
  • Measures and cuts required lengths of copper, lead, steel, iron, aluminium or plastic using hand or machine tools.
  • Examines drawings and specifications to determine layout of system.

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Median Salary

£30,573 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Checks and puts on diving suit and equipment and descends underwater to carry out construction, maintenance and repair tasks on sites such as oil rigs, harbours, bridges etc.
  • Erects and repairs fencing.
  • Maintains and repairs steeples, industrial chimneys and other high structures, and installs and replaces lightning conductors.
  • Installs plumbing fixtures, woodwork structures and fittings, and sets glass in frames.
  • Pours and levels concrete, prepares surfaces for painting and plastering, and mixes and applies plaster and paint.
  • Lays bricks, tiles and building blocks to construct, repair and decorate buildings.
  • Selects, measures and cuts steel bars, rods and wire to required lengths, positions and fixes reinforcements into position and tensions as required using hydraulic jacks.

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Median Salary

£25,031 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Checks surface level using line, spirit level and straight edge.
  • Covers and seals joints between boards and finishes surface.
  • Measures, cuts, installs and secures plaster board and/or ornamental plasterwork to walls and ceilings.
  • Pours liquid plaster into mould to cast ornamental plaster work.
  • Applies and smoothes one or more coats of plaster and produces a finished surface, using hand tools or mechanical spray.
  • Mixes, or directs the mixing of, plaster to desired consistency.

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Median Salary

£27,456 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Mixes cement screed or other adhesive, cuts and positions floor and wall tiles and checks alignment of tiling with spirit level.
  • Finishes covering by rolling, smoothing, grouting or polishing.
  • Examines premises to plan suitable layout and cuts, lays and secures underlay, carpet and linoleum.
  • Cleans floor surface, fixes wooden laying guides and mixes, pours and levels granite and terrazzo mixtures, bitumen, synthetic resin or other composition mixtures to form flooring.
  • Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements.

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Median Salary

£24,499 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Stains, waxes and french polishes wood surfaces by hand.
  • Mixes adhesive or removes self-adhesive backing and positions covering material on wall, matching up patterns where appropriate and removing wrinkles and air bubbles by hand or brush.
  • Applies primer, undercoat and finishing coat(s) using brush, roller, or spray equipment.
  • Prepares surfaces by cleaning, sanding and filling cracks and holes with appropriate filler.
  • Erects working platform or scaffolding up to five metres in height.

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Median Salary

£23,103 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Reports as required to managerial staff on work-related matters.
  • Determines or recommends staffing and other needs to meet productivity requirements.
  • Liaises with managers and contractors to resolve operational problems.
  • Establishes and monitors work schedules to meet productivity requirements.
  • Directly supervises and coordinates the activities of construction and building workers and/or subcontractors.

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Median Salary

£33,787 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Applies decorative designs and finishes to glassware, optical glass and ceramic goods by grinding, smoothing, polishing, cutting, etching, dipping, painting or transferring patterns or labels.
  • Cuts and joins unfired stoneware pipes to form junctions and gullies, moulds sealing bands on clay pipes, prepares and joins porcelain or earthenware components and assists crucible makers and stone workers with their tasks.
  • Throws, casts and presses clay by hand or machine to form pottery, stoneware or refractory goods such as bricks, crucibles, ornaments, sanitary furnishings, saggars, cups, saucers, plates and roofing tiles.
  • Makes models and moulds from moulding clay and plaster for use in the making and casting of pottery and other ceramic goods.
  • Makes artificial eyes, laminated glass sheets or blocks, glass fibre tissue, wool, filament and matting, marks optical lenses and assembles rimless spectacles.
  • Uses hand tools and operates machinery to heat, bend, shape, press, drill and cut glass.

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Median Salary

£23,495 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Tests joints with electronic test equipment or by filling piping with water, smoke or compressed air.
  • Joints pipe by sealing with rubber, cement, lead, etc., connects piping to manholes and attaches pipe junctions as required.
  • Selects appropriate asbestos, clay, concrete, plastic or metal pipe sections and lowers them into prepared trenches using hoisting equipment.
  • Cuts, shapes and fits wood, lays bricks and tiles, cleans exterior surfaces of buildings and resurfaces eroded stone or brickwork, and performs other tasks in the construction, alteration, repair and demolition of buildings.
  • Selects appropriate plasterboard or dry lining panels, cuts them to required size and fixes them to ceilings and walls.
  • Fills machine with insulating mixture, positions hose, drills access hole and fills cavities or coats surfaces to prevent loss or absorption of heat and provide fire protection.

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Median Salary

£23,573 View more

What can I do with a Construction qualification?

How can I progress?

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University Centre

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Levels Explained

Trying to make sense of your grades? Not sure what you can study? Read our handy 'levels explained' guide.