Building and Decorating Courses

If you’re practical, good with numbers and work well with your hands…

Our tutors deliver building and decorating study programmes with extensive knowledge of the construction industry sectors. Their professional expertise is valued by our students.

There are excellent facilities on our campuses, with specialised building training areas designed to simulate the working environment.

Career options include:

  • Bricklayer
  • Construction Site Supervisor
  • Multi Trade Operative
  • Painter and Decorator
  • Quantity Surveyor
  • Site Manager
Brickwork

A career in Brickwork and craft masonry offers a wide range of employment opportunities such as working on new builds and refurbishments. Bricklayers build and repair walls, chimney stacks, tunnel linings and decorative stonework. They might also refurbish brickwork and masonry on restoration projects.

Painting and Decorating

As a painter and decorator, you would work on a variety of domestic and industrial projects ranging from re-decorating homes to applying heavy-duty finishes to large structures like bridges. On a domestic job, you would use paint, varnishes and wallpaper to decorate rooms. You would follow the householder’s instructions about choice of colour, finishing texture and wallpaper patterns. To be a painter and decorator, you should have good practical and creative skills. You will need to be able to work carefully and pay attention to detail. Sometimes you’ll need a good head for heights.

Professional and Technical Construction

The construction industry is fast moving – techniques and technologies develop rapidly and legislation is always changing – and this is reflected in our course content and delivery.

Our courses are delivered by tutors with extensive knowledge and experience in the industry and their professional expertise is valued by our students. There are excellent facilities, with training areas designed to simulate the working environment. New T Levels in construction subjects are available, whilst apprenticeships are also available, allowing students to earn while they learn, as well as gaining first-hand experience of the industry sector in a working environment.

Professional technical construction and building services programmes provide learners with an excellent opportunity to gain a qualification and develop skills for the construction industry; there are a number of career paths available and many job prospects both locally and nationally.

As well as Further Education courses for school leavers and evening courses for adult (19+ learners), apprenticeships in brickwork and groundworking are also available. These allow students to earn while they learn, as well as experience a construction environment first-hand while gaining the relevant training and education required to become a successful crafts-person in brickwork and other associated trowel trades. Career pathways may include working on new builds and refurbishments, from small domestic projects to major ones such as public buildings.

Bricklaying Level 1/2
Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction Level 3 - T Level
Painting and Decorating Level 1/2

Me'ShachLevel 3 Construction and The Built EnvironmentI enjoy the wide variety of units we get taught as it helps me
gain knowledge on multiple subjects. The teachers are very
helpful and have pushed me to reach my full potentia, they
have also helped give me advice on my future career path.
Tom KeebleTomLevel 2 BrickworkComing from school the campus felt right. It's modern,
a nice size, a great location and the tutors were nice.
There's good banter in the workshop and it feels
independent, like I'm at work but at College.
OliviaLevel 2 BrickworkI wanted to be different and prove to people it is possible
to do something else. The facilities are amazing with good
quality equipment and my tutor Steve's been helpful.
Everyone is kind and there's help available if needed.
Josh JohnstonJoshLevel 3 BrickworkI only came to Colchester Institute due to how close it
was to where I lived. When I got here though, I found
myself in an open minded and friendly space, with access
to some great tutors, equipment and facilities.
Tiffany Rose DyerTiffany-RoseLevel 2 Painting and DecoratingEvery day I am at College I feel that my work
is improving. I like that I get to work alongside
my friends to.

Brickwork Intermediate Apprenticeship
GroundworkerLevel 2 Apprenticeship

Bricklaying Certificate in Construction Skills City & Guilds 6219-08 (P/T Evening)
Level 1 Diploma in Construction Skills
Plastering Skills

Certificate of Competence in Environmental Noise Measurement
CSCS Card – Health Safety and Environment Tests
Emergency First Aid At Work
Emergency First Aid at Work - Specific to Working at Height
Plastering Skills
Professional & Technical ConstructionBSc Programmes
Working at Height