Hello! Who are you and what are you studying? 

Hi! I’m Marcia-Belle and I’m studying a Construction T Level in Design, Planning and Surveying. I’m in my second and final year of my studies. 

What motivated you to choose your course? 

I did a Construction GCSE, so I got into it through there; we had workshops, did woodwork, designs, planning and online work. My grandad also works in the construction industry, so throughout my life I would learn bits and pieces from him; my dad came here and studied some of the construction courses as well, so my family and school got me into it. 

How are you finding your studies and do you feel like you’ve made the right decision with your course? 

100% I’ve made the right choice with my course. I love it and I’ve really learned so much, but it’s the people that are the best thing about the course. It’s a very small class – only 11 of us – and we’ve all become very close, and I really do treasure the people in my class. 

Where did you do your work placement and how did you find it? 

I am doing my placement with WJ Construction where I work once a week. I do a lot of shadowing and I’ve done a lot of work with their sustainability team because that’s what I’m really interested in. 

I really enjoy it because it gives a proper real-life experience of working in a company. When I joined, they said they wanted to allow me to try a bit of everything, which I’ve managed to do. I’ve really been accepted into the company culture too. 

Have you encountered any challenge at your workplace and how did you overcome them? 

I think my biggest challenge has been opening up to new people. I’m one of the first student placements they’ve taken on, so it’s been a lot of adjustment for myself and the company. Meeting all the new people and trying to impress them because they’ve been doing their job for years and I’m obviously very new. 

But I think that’s also one of the best parts because you’re the new face and you get to have a fresh impression for everyone – and you can ask a lot of questions!

What are your highlights from your time at the College?        

There are many! I’d definitely say one highlight has been my sustainability work with the College – I’m in the Student Sustainability Committee and I took part in the Planet Earth Games and won the student prize at MK College, which was exciting. Student of the Year is another one of my top highlights – the event was the greatest thing ever and I loved how student-run it was with the Catering students working there. 

I also met my best friend in College. I think the College is a great place for making friends because it’s a very non-judgmental place. One thing I love about the college culture is how people express themselves with how they dress. 

I like being more independent with my work and I’d say the highlight of the College has been the independence in how you produce your work – you can take your own lead on it. 

Have you done other courses at the College as well? 

Yes! I participated in the “Embedding Sustainable Procurement” online class, which was part of the Planet Earth Games – I somehow managed to convince my class to come to it with me! It was really nice to share my interests with the class. 

I also did a Retrofit course, which is about how you can better old buildings. 

What are your future career aspirations? What are your plans for achieving them? 

I’ve signed up for the HNC in Construction next year which would be good because it’s one day a week and the rest of the time I would be working. I’m planning on taking the Sustainability online course as well. 

I really would love to create something as well; one of my biggest dreams is to create my own company and I’m hoping to work with a company that would give me the experience for starting my own business.

What advice would you give to someone applying for your course at Milton Keynes College today? 

I really do recommend my course, especially for those who want to go into the construction industry but aren’t sure which section of it. The College is a great opportunity to try a bit of everything. 

I’d say don’t stress it too much. I feel like for a lot of people who join the College, it’s the only thing on their minds. Do think about how much other stuff you can enjoy while you’re here, the people and the experiences. Do the work but also make time for doing what makes you happy. Have fun with it as well!

To learn more about the T Level in Construction (Design, Surveying and Planning) at Milton Keynes College, read more here and to see our full T Level offering read more here.

Teachers and managers from Milton Keynes College Group have been graded Good by Ofsted for their work with offenders at Fosse Way Prison; one of only 7% of establishments across England to obtain a Good grade.  This is an incredible achievement for all at HMP Fosse Way following a challenging period for prisons in recent years.  

It’s especially satisfying for the staff involved because they launched the education service at Fosse Way when it opened two years ago.  Rob Hawkins, the College Group’s Contract Manager for Prison Services was part of the initial team who mobilised HMP Fosse Way.  He says, “It’s really emotional for the colleagues here, because for a long time HMP Fosse Way has been a big part of our lives.  We were responsible for how everything, from how many tables and chairs do we need in which rooms and what pens and paper to buy, right the way up to designing and running the curriculum for our Learners, for us to get a good grade here is really such a boost for everyone in recognition for their hard work.” 

The College Group’s Lead Director for Prison Services, Claire Atkins, says, “The achievement is all the greater when you bear in mind that Fosse Way is a really big prison, which can make effective education a lot harder to achieve.  We’ve got more than 70 staff here spread across two different areas.  Some of them had never worked in education before they came here, and some had never been inside a prison, so we have to thank each and every one of them for getting to grips with the job as well as they have.” 

Rob and Claire are also full of praise for SERCO, the private company that runs Fosse Way.  “You’ve got to have a stable and secure prison before you can hope to make education work,” Rob says, “and they deserve huge credit for that.” 

The Ofsted inspectors praised the team for providing a wide curriculum from entry level courses up to Master’s degrees.  They also said there were good links with employers, helping create courses that would help offenders into work when they finished their sentences, writing that the, “range of academic and vocational pathways reflected both labour market gaps and priorities, as well as prisoners’ interests and job aspirations.” 

The College is committed to building fairer futures for all learners.  Its Information, Advice and Guidance team and Employment Coordinators work with Serco and other partners to provide learners with opportunities both during their time at Fosse Way and on release.  HMIP inspectors noted that “a range of committed and experienced staff and partners supported resettlement work… The combined efforts of these teams had led to many positive outcomes for prisoners.”  

Claire says, “Prisoners will say to you, ‘when I’m in the education areas it doesn’t feel like I’m in prison,’ which is really lovely.  The library and classrooms and workshops have a real Further Education feel to them, almost as if we’re working in just another campus of Milton Keynes College.” 

Prisoners can choose from an extraordinary range of qualifications, including employability, skills, business, teacher training, art, warehousing, plastering, painting and decorating, carpentry, brick laying, finance and many more. 

Claire and Rob say their greatest satisfaction comes when they receive letters from former learners who have finished their sentences and are out in the world, in jobs, living better lives.  “That’s when you see the passion of the staff being repaid,” Claire says.  “They can see they’ve made a real difference to someone, and there’s just no better feeling.” 

To find out more about prison services from MK College Group, visit Prison Services – MK College 

20 Level 1 Painting & Decorating students from Milton Keynes College recently took part in a bench refurbishment project at MK University Hospital. 

The students were inspired to take on the refurbishment project after finding out about the opportunity during the College in the Community Day on 2nd April. Given the substantial workload of the project, it was agreed that the collaboration would take place as an end-of-term activity. The project was planned and supported by Adrian Bujorean, Course Team Leader for Construction at Milton Keynes College. 

For their project, the students refurbished a total of five wooden benches on the hospital grounds. Successfully sanding off old paint and applying three coats of exterior wood stain to protect and preserve the wood for outdoor use, the students transformed the benches while putting their learning to practice. 

For many of the students, this was the first time using oil-based paint and exterior varnish, making this a valuable hands-on learning experience beyond the classroom. With a mix of ability-levels, the students were keen to help one another and took pride in their work. While working, they received thanks from hospital staff and positive feedback from passers-by and patients. 

Kelly Errington, Community Fundraiser at Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, said: “I just wanted to say a huge thank you and well done to Adrian and the students – they all worked so hard during the hottest week of the year!  The benches look absolutely great and will make such a difference to the patients and their families who use the garden areas.” 

Issac, a Level 1 Painting & Decorating student who participated in the project, said: “Despite the hot weather, I really enjoyed the work experience and project being outside of college. I was able to improve my skills and had a great time working with my group throughout the week. I’m hoping for more work experiences like this in the future.” 

Jamie-Bradley, another participating Level 1 Painting & Decorating student, said: “I think it was a fun week where we did something good for people. It was also a good opportunity to experience working on something new.” 

Adrian Bujorean, Course Team Leader for Construction at Milton Keynes College, said: “After a fun, sunny week, our students have done a fantastic job bringing several old benches back to life – ready to serve for many more years to come. 

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone involved: students, staff, and the Hospital Charity team. Your support, hard work, and positivity made this project truly special. I’m incredibly proud of the students for their effort, teamwork, and commitment.” 

To learn more about Painting & Decorating at Milton Keynes College, read more here.

Lauren Wandless, Social Value Manager at construction company Ashe Construction, says the partnership with MK College is helping them support their local community – and find their workforce of the future.

Ashe Construction first started working with the College in December 2021 when it was building the new South Central Institute for Technology (IoT) at its Bletchley campus.

Since then, it has hosted a dozen T Level students on work placements, helping them to collectively gain more than 700 hours of work experience.

Gulsheer Khan, one of the T Level students they hosted, has now begun a Level 4 Site Supervisor Apprenticeship, continuing his journey with the company.

Lauren added, “The students were exceptional, and the staff have consistently offered great support – whenever we encountered any issues, they were always approachable and helpful. They’re super enthusiastic and you can see how much they care about their students in everything they do.”

On advice for other employers interested in hosting students on T Level placement, she said, “I’d say, give it a go! Having Gulsheer and the other students on their T Level placement taught us so much. It is a great way to really get to know the students better. You get a proper look at their skills and who they really are.”

Ashe Construction will welcome two new T Level students to start their work placements in the new year as they begin new projects, including building a new primary school and community health hub as part of MK Council’s MK East development.

Lauren said, “This is just the beginning of a long-term, continuous collaboration. Our aim is to engage more trade-specific students to join us and our supply chain as part of our ongoing plans.”

The T Level in Construction at MK College is intended for students who want to progress to a career in the construction sector, with a focus on design and surveying or civil engineering.

To find out more about working with MK College students, get in touch with the Work Experience Team: workexperienceteam@mkcollege.ac.uk

Daniel Moore is Director of D.J. Moore Lofts, a construction firm with 25 staff based in Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Over the last six years, the firm has built up a fantastic client base and completed a large portfolio of all different styles of work, helping it to become known as one of the best loft conversion companies in the area.

Apprentice Daniel Burton joined the business in September 2021 and now the company is considering how it can take on more apprentices with Milton Keynes College in 2022 to support its further growth.

Daniel explained, “I’m dyslexic and MK College helped me get my NVQ in Carpentry while I was doing my apprenticeship as a 16-year-old. Since then, I’ve always had a soft spot for them, so when we decided to bring an apprentice on board, MK College was the natural choice.

“The College were really helpful in sorting out all the paperwork and helping us to apply for funding. It’s been an easy and straightforward process. We were sent a list of candidates and the College staff guided us throughout the whole recruitment process.”

Daniel added, “I believe it’s important to engage with the next generation to try and help not only them, but us as a company. There’s a massive skills shortage in this country, and we need to do more to attract young people into the industry.

“Through apprenticeships, I’m hoping to bring the next generation through and train them up to not only help build our business, but also help build them into better people.”

When asked what advice he would give to other employers, Daniel said, “Don’t be scared. It’s worth a go and like anything the more time and energy you put in with younger staff, the more they will thrive – improving themselves and benefiting you and your company.”

For more information on hiring a construction apprentice, contact the Apprenticeships team at MK College on apprenticeships@mkcollege.ac.uk

Norma Odain-Hines is the Social Value Manager for Morgan Sindall Construction (part of Morgan Sindall Group) in the Northern Homes Counties Region.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the construction sector, Norma believes the key to the successful long-term partnership between MK College and Morgan Sindall is the shared vision to have a positive impact on the communities they serve.

She said, “Morgan Sindall have been working with MK College for a number of years and have always found them to be forward thinking, adaptable and driven to support the needs and development of all their students.

“The College has grown over the years which has meant we have been able to engage in a number of employer opportunities – from apprenticeship provision to pre-employment training and supply chain engagement. We have also hosted site visits, delivered master classes and careers talks and brought students in on work placement.”

Morgan Sindall Group consists of eight complementary businesses, with over 6,000 staff, working to create long-term, sustainable value in the built environment. The Group’s vision is to be the most sought-after and sustainable business which delivers long-term growth and leaves lasting legacies for the communities in which they work.

The company has recently been supporting the New Futures:MK project, funded by Milton Keynes Council, which aims to help more than 1,000 people back into work, including young people and adults who have lost or are at risk of losing their jobs in the wake of the COVID emergency.

Norma said, “I have a passion for my role and the positive impact it has on people’s lives and the community in which Morgan Sindall work in. We have found that the College is about more than just the normal college provision: it is about the wider local educational provision and the community in which they have campuses.”

She added, “We would definitely recommend working with Milton Keynes College and have already introduced some of our supply chain to them. I would advise employers that due to the constant changes we are all facing, it is wise to work closely with your local College to ensure that the students gain that insight into your business, what behaviours and skills your look for in individuals along with having an opportunity to support new initiatives and training programmes.”

For more information on working with MK College, contact the Employer team on employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk