Looking for a place on one of our courses, but need some help and advice?
Come along to our Open Day on Wednesday 5th August
Whether you're looking to start a career in construction or develop the practical skills needed for an apprenticeship, Glasgow Kelvin College offers hands-on training that prepares you for the workplace.
From bricklaying and carpentry to painting, decorating and roof slating, you'll learn in industry-standard workshops using professional tools, equipment and techniques. Alongside practical trade skills, you'll develop an understanding of health and safety, teamwork and the professional standards expected across the construction industry.
Our experienced lecturers will support you throughout your studies, helping you build confidence, gain recognised qualifications and prepare for employment, apprenticeships or further study.
Whether you're exploring a career in construction or already know which trade interests you most, our courses provide clear progression routes from introductory programmes through to pre-apprenticeship training and specialist craft qualifications.
Discover what it's like to study Construction at Glasgow Kelvin College.
Hear from our students and lecturers as they share their experiences of practical workshop learning, developing trade skills and preparing for careers in the construction industry.
I just think the variety, like everybody that comes in through the door, there's such a variety of students. There's a variety of work that we can do. There's just no one doing one day the same. It's like constantly changing.
Everybody's really welcoming, so it is a friendly college.
In terms of courses, there's loads of different courses available to different people.
There's from young kids from 14, 15, who maybe school isn't the route for them. They could come to college instead of going to school.
There is a couple of courses that's available, especially in the joinery department, or in the construction department, where young kids can come in, and then right through to kids leaving school, and then even adult apprentices coming in through the door
The younger ones it's about building their life skills as well as their hand skills so we're using joinery and bricklaying and other trade areas as a kind of tool where we can build a relationship with them a personal relationship and build them in confidence and everything else so that they're ready for the world to work
We've got obviously young kids at 16, 17 leaving school and unsure of what avenue they want to come down, so a lot of the skills that we build in here are transferable as well.
So in the construction industry, measuring, cutting, sewing, you can use it in joinery, bricklaying, whatever, so they can transfer these skills into other areas of work, but also into their life in general.
Hi there, I'm Tracy Burns.
I'm going to be the new course tutor for the new Women Into Construction course that's coming to Glasgow Kelvin next year.
It's a multi-trade course so you'll cover joinery, you'll cover bricklaying, painting and roof slating and tiling.
This will be the joiners workshop that you're going to be working in. So you'll come in, you'll be allocated a bench and then you'll be given a set of tools, your own set of tools that you'll be responsible for for the full year. Every time you come in you'll be given it, you'll be asked to check it but you're responsible for the full year and it's just going to be you that's going to be using your own tools.
This will be typically what you'll be doing in painting and decorating. So you'll be in your own wee room, you'll have a door and window and skippings and stuff. So you'll be painting on the wall, you'll be using emulsion, gloss, different types of paint, different styles of painting.
You'll also get an introduction into roof slating and tiling. These are the rigs that you're going to be working on. You'll probably be working on twos in this area, you'll be doing different styles whether it be slates whether it be roof tiles.
This will be your brickwork area where you come in you'll get an introduction to brickwork again you'll see your blocks or bricks different types of facing
Hello, I'm Rachel. I'm in the Women's in Construction course at Glasgow Kelvin College.
I joined this course because I wanted a better future for myself. I wanted to be confident in joinery.
Women's only course was the best opportunity because it allowed me to get comfortable with my classmates, learn new things and just progress.
I've enjoyed learning bricklaying. I'm getting more into joinery. I've enjoyed learning how to use planers, different joints.
I want to progress into an apprenticeship. It's very easy to balance because it's a Monday, Tuesday, half day, Wednesday. The workload isn't too much. The lecturers are very supportive, so they always make sure you know what you're doing. I feel more confident being on a women's only course, because the girls always support me. I'm there for them as well. I'd go to them if I've made a mistake or I need support.
Go for it. You'll regret it if you don't.
Iona & Holly: I’m Iona. I’m Holly. We’re doing the Women in Construction course.
Iona: I chose this course because I felt I’d be more comfortable in an all-women class, instead of always worrying that the boys might be doing better or that I was falling behind.
Holly: I wanted to start off with a woman's class.
Iona: I came straight from school, found out about it from a careers advisor. I looked at mechanics at first. After time looking through stuff, I then chose construction because I feel like I'd have more options.
Holly: Coming out of school, I'd done a year of art, but I just felt that it wasn't for me. I started looking into construction courses and then I found this.
Iona: Bricklaying surprised me. I didn't think I'd like that at all. It's probably one of my favourite things. Bricklaying's just very hands-on. I'm always busy. I don't need to ask for help that often. Just kind of easy to understand.
Holly: Bricklaying also surprised me because I'd never tried it before and I thought it was going to be really hard, but it's actually quite easy. I really like joinery as well.
Iona: I fully recommend this course. It's comfortable, it's easy to make friends. The lecturers are all very nice, all good, all-inclusive, very good at helping. I'm rarely stuck for too long.
Holly: You've always got someone around you that's going to help you. Your peers just ask for help and they'll help you. Everyone's going to get stuck at some point, but there's always someone there.
