Exeter College Expands its Construction offering with a Construction Innovation Centre
A significant milestone has been marked at Exeter College as they officially open a Construction Innovation Centre and Roofing Centre of Excellence in Sowton, Exeter.
Due to the exponential growth in demand for construction programmes, the College has expanded its provision, a reflection of hard work, vision and commitment from all involved.
Their hope is that the young people completing these courses will create a regional generation of superstar roofers who will contribute to this growing, exciting industry.
Colin McCorquodale, National President forNFRC officially opened the building.
Mike Blakeley, Executive Director of Partnerships and Apprenticeships at Exeter College said;
“Exeter College delivers a huge range of construction programmes and to ensure that we meet the full needs of our employers, it was an obvious choice to pick roofing as the next one that we add to our portfolio.
“Now students can go from damp proofing right the way up to roofing and everything in between. There is a high level of skill within the industry that needs to be taught, so it doesn’t become a dying trade, and we’re delighted that we can be seen as a Centre of Excellence in the South West.
“We’ve got huge employer support, every employer that’s linked to Exeter college is giving us time, giving us resources and materials, which is a brilliant way to support the excellent team that deliver our training.”
Dave O’Connor, Head of Faculty for Construction, said;
“We began occupying the Construction Innovation Centre in January, and by February, it was already buzzing with our Site Carpentry apprentices. In April, we proudly launched our new Roofing Apprenticeship in Slating and Tiling, made possible in large part by the appointment of Steve Dowell as a Work Based Tutor. His expertise, enthusiasm, and industry connections have already made a significant impact.”
“A special thanks to Luke Hurlock and Mike Armitage, our Curriculum Area Managers, whose valuable input helped turn this vision into reality. The future of Construction at Exeter College is looking incredibly bright.”
The College was delighted to welcome Colin McCorquodale, National President for NFRC, the UK’s largest roofing trade association to officially open the building. He said;
“NFRC and its members are very engaged in training the up-and-coming generation of roofers. We need to do this so our industry is well set for the future but also so we can preserve these traditional roofing skills that we all value.
“The biggest single challenge facing this industry is a skills gap. That’s why it’s even more pleasing to see the demand from facilities like this, where roofers of the future can receive expert training and guidance to set them on the right path for their future careers. I wish them the very best of luck.”
To find out more about Apprenticeships at Exeter College, please contact the Apprenticeship Team on 01392 400800 or Apprentices@exe-coll.ac.uk.
Exeter College Welcomes Institute of Carpenter’s Royal Patron at Final Nationwide Timber Industry College Hub Event
Exeter College was honoured to host the Institute of Carpenter’s (IOC) latest Timber Industry College Hub event, graced by the presence of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester, Royal Patron of the IOC. This landmark gathering marked the final milestone in a series of events that have connected industry leaders, educators, and aspiring carpenters and joiners across the UK.
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester, greets special guests at the Exeter College Construction Centre
Royal Endorsement
The royal visit and the success of this event highlighted Exeter College’s commitment to preparing students for rewarding careers in the timber industry, while promoting sustainable practices that will shape the future of construction and forestry.
The presence of HRH The Duchess of Gloucester underscored the necessity of equipping the next generation with the skills and knowledge required to excel in this essential trade.
Industry and Education: A Powerful Partnership
The Exeter College event opened with a warm welcome from John Laramy, Principal and Chief Executive of Exeter College, who stressed the importance of fostering links between education and industry. Geoff Rhodes, President of the IOC, then set the scene, emphasising the vital role that these events play in supporting the next generation of skilled professionals.
The event featured a lineup of industry expert speakers and practical demonstrations by students, and covered key themes such as sustainable forestry, the evolution of timber in construction, and the variety of employment pathways in the trade. Darren Murrish (CITB) provided an insightful overview of the employment landscape and career opportunities, while Dave O’Connor (Exeter College) shared a college perspective on how industry partnerships help shape student futures.
Key Highlights of the Event:
Leading professionals from across the timber sector provided in-depth insights into sustainability, technological advancements, and employment trends. Speakers included:
Nick Boulton (Timber Development UK & Trussed Rafter Association), who explored UK raw material supply, sustainability, and the green agenda.
Roly Ward (Medite/SmartPly), who discussed MDF and OSB production and technical developments.
Neil Summers (American Hardwood Export Council – AHEC) shared perspectives on sustainable global forest resources and the international timber industry.
John Bailey (Benbow Group – NAS) offered personal insights on career opportunities in the shopfitting and interiors industry.
Ed Suttie (BRE) presented on new developments in the construction industry.
Samantha Barnes (Historic England), who discussed conservation work and the importance of the heritage sector.
Students participated in interactive workshops, showcasing cutting-edge woodworking techniques for the Duchess and attending guests. Axminster Tools, Reisser UK, CITB, and IOC also provided hands-on displays. The event also gave students direct access to potential employers and industry mentors, bridging the gap between education and real-world career opportunities. The IOC Mentoring Champions initiative was a central theme, reinforcing the importance of experienced professionals guiding the next generation of carpenters and joiners.
Celebrating Success and Looking Forward
This event was the culmination of the latest series of ten IOC Timber Industry College Hub gatherings, which have taken place over the last two years at Lincoln College, Building Crafts College (Stratford, East London), West Suffolk College, Neath Port Talbot College (Wales), UHI Inverness (Scotland), New College Durham, Leeds College of Building, Newcastle & Stafford College Group, Northampton College, and Exeter College. These events have successfully provided woodworking learners and apprentices with crucial industry insights, career guidance, and direct engagement with professionals from the timber sector.
Geoff Rhodes, President of the IOC, reflected on the impact of the initiative:
“The IOC Timber Industry College Hub events have been a tremendous success, offering students across the UK an invaluable glimpse into the future of the timber industry. These hubs have demonstrated the power of partnerships between colleges and businesses, and Exeter College was the perfect venue to mark the conclusion of this national initiative.
“We are honoured to celebrate this milestone at Exeter College with our Royal Patron, The Duchess of Gloucester, and are already planning our next series of college events, which will continue our journey around the UK.”
John Laramy, Principal and Chief Executive said:
“Hosting this final IOC Timber Industry College Hub event has been an incredible honour for Exeter College and for me personally, as I started my career in the construction industry. I am delighted that we have been able to support this event.
“This initiative has provided our students with invaluable industry connections, hands-on experience, and insight into the future of sustainable timber and construction.
“The presence of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester further highlights the importance of equipping the next generation with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in this essential trade.
“Strong partnerships between education and industry is key to our success and we will continue to ensure our learners are prepared for rewarding careers in carpentry and joinery.”
The success of the Timber Industry College Hub programme would not have been possible without the support of CITB and Timber Development UK (TDUK), whose collaboration has ensured that students receive relevant, industry-driven insights to help shape their careers.
Looking ahead, the IOC is dedicated to supporting its members and new starters coming into the sector, while strengthening the vital links between industry and education. The IOC Timber Industry College Hub events have laid a strong foundation for continued collaboration, helping to secure the future of skilled workers in the carpentry and joinery sectors.
For further details on the IOC and future events, please contact:
Exeter College Construction Alumni Return to Complete T Level Extension
Exeter College construction alumni, Bob and Dave Tranckle recently returned to the College to work on an extension project in the very building they learned in.
The College’s Construction Centre has undergone a £1million extension to create new learning spaces for the recently launched T Level in Construction.
Bob and Dave Tranckle founded Nevada Construction, the principal contractor for the recent works at Exeter College, in 2010. Based in Teignmouth, Nevada provides clients with a comprehensive building service from project inception to completion in a variety of sectors, which include Education, Healthcare, Public Services, Commercial and Retail.
Nevada Construction worked on completing a new space for a computer suite, as well as an electrical workshop and testing area for students. The renovation also includes a new café, staffroom and exterior cladding.
Bob and Dave studied for a ONC and HNC in Construction and Civil Engineering in 2008. After founding Nevada Construction in 2010 the brothers have enjoyed significant company growth year on year.
Working on the T Level extension at the Construction Centre, Bob said: “It was a bit strange coming back, seeing the café where we used to eat our lunch, that sort of thing. It has been a great opportunity to improve those facilities and we were really happy to be chosen as the main contractors on the project. We pride ourselves on our strong connections with the local community we serve and to be able to give something back to Exeter College to help today’s students further their careers is a great feeling.”
Bob says his HNC in Construction course at Exeter College was a good, rounded course because you could specialise in different areas. He found that when he went to university, he was ahead of those who had gone straight from a Level 3 course, so much so that he even started Nevada Construction in his last year of university, working on small house renovations until they could move onto bigger projects.
Exeter College was Bob’s first choice of college. He said: “Construction has always been in the family and we both really enjoyed the course. The bit we really liked was that we built up a structure in the brickwork area and everyone was involved from Construction to Quantity Surveying to Civil Engineering and we all worked on the project together. It felt like a mini construction site and was great experience.”
Exeter College’s new Construction Centre extension welcomed its first cohort of Construction T Level students in September 2020, following this £1million transformation creating a bespoke learning area for the new qualification.
You can find out more about the courses on offer at Exeter College and view the facilities at the next Open Event.
Exeter College’s Construction Centre extension welcomes new T Level students
Exeter College’s new Construction Centre extension has welcomed its first cohort of Construction T Level students following a £1million transformation creating a bespoke learning area for the new qualification.
Exeter College is one of the first providers in the country – and the only one in Devon – to offer T Levels for the 2020 academic year, with two year, full time courses now running in Construction, Digital and Education and Childcare.
“Our T Level learners will develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers need and will be the talent of the future.”
Sam Hillman, Assistant Principal
T Levels follow on from GCSEs and are set to revolutionise the technical education landscape, providing learners with a qualification that is the equivalent to three A Levels and combines classroom-based learning with 20% of time spent on an industry placement. T Levels can be used to move directly in to industry or to support an application to university. Further T Level courses are set to be rolled out across the country in the coming years, providing additional study routes in a variety of industries.
The extension in the Construction Centre makes space for a new computer suite, as well as an electrical workshop and testing area for students. Underneath the mezzanine is a painting and decorating room and workshop for teaching trades. The renovation also includes a new café and staffroom.
The extra space has also led to the conversion of the Learning Resource Centre. This will become two bespoke teaching rooms, each boasting 15 brand new specialist Computer Aided Design (CAD) computers. These facilities will provide Exeter College’s Construction T Level students with industry standard technology, software and packages for the design and project management side of the new course.
The folding acoustic partition separating these two classrooms also means that this new space can easily transform into one large seminar room, where all learners can learn together. This will give the College flexibility in terms of numbers and how to deliver certain aspects of the new qualification.
Sam Hillman, Assistant Principal at Exeter College, said, “We are very excited to be one of the first FE providers in the country and the only College in Devon to deliver T Levels.
“Learners studying with us on a T Level will benefit from subject specialist teachers who have worked in industry as well as have access to state of the art facilities and resources.
“Our T Level learners will develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers need and will be the talent of the future.”
Dave O’Connor, Head of Construction at Exeter College, said, “The investment in facilities will provide our T Level learners with bespoke training areas supported with state-of-the-art technology to really enhance the teaching and learning experience. Our industry specialist staff can take teaching to the next level and we’re all excited about delivering this new qualification.”
The T Level qualification will consist of 80% of time spent in the classroom gaining technical and theoretical skills and the remaining 20% is a valuable placement in industry.
Dave explained, “The College has Industry Placement Liaison Officers to create all the partnerships with local businesses to create these placement opportunities. Students will generally spend four days in College and have one day working in the industry.
“The bespoke industry placement will support students and will help to create the next wave of civil engineers. We’re excited to help students create a career for themselves and make a big difference in society.”
Register now to find out more about the subjects that interest you at Exeter College, including information on our next live interactive seminars.
Specialist Teachers and World Class Facilities building Exeter College’s Success
Since being named as the UK’s first ever tertiary college 50 years ago, we’ve built ourselves into the exceptional education provider we are today and are now ranked as the only Ofsted Outstanding College in Devon.
We’ve managed to reach this prestigious position by putting students at the heart of everything we do. We know there’s nothing more impactful on a young person’s education than the environment they’re learning in and, of course, who’s teaching them.
Subject Specialist Teachers
As a further education provider, our teachers differ to what you would find at a lot of sixth forms. Here, we pride ourselves on having subject specialist teachers. Unlike at school, our staff don’t teach across different subjects; they dedicate their time exclusively to the subject they teach in the classroom.
This means that our students are taught by people who have a real passion for the topic that they teach. As a result, our students can fully develop their skills and explore their passion within a specific field, which links directly to their chosen further study or employment option.
On top of this, our vocational subjects are taught by teachers who are still actively involved in their respective industries. This means they are constantly developing and updating their own skillset to pass on to the next generation of learners.
Jade Otty, Vice Principal of Exeter College and lead on academic performance, believes our specialist teaching staff positively impacts our consistently impressive vocational and academic results.
“Having specialist teachers is one of the cornerstones of what contributes to the outstanding education environment at Exeter College,” said Jade.
“Students who study with us are choosing to learn from teachers who have a genuine passion for what they’re teaching and, more importantly, have the skills to transfer that knowledge to students in the classroom.
“When a teacher chooses to work with us, they do so because they want to have their teaching time dedicated solely to a subject they love, and to supporting young people with that same passion succeeding with their ambitions. We’ve found that students really respond well to being taught by specialist teachers and appreciate the inside knowledge they can learn from teachers who are still involved in the industry.”
Tom Matthew, A Level student studying Geography, Sociology and Politics, added, “The teachers have been really helpful. They always have their students’ best interests at heart and go over and above expectations.
“My Geography teachers have experience with the exam board, and they are two of the best teachers I’ve had; their experience has been particularly useful to us.”
World Class Facilities and Partnerships
We’re proud to offer subject specialist teaching, but we also know that this is only one of the features which has helped to make us into the Ofsted Outstanding provider we are today.
Here at Exeter College, we offer all our students access to world class facilities and equipment in their chosen subject(s).
To make sure our learners have the very best chance to enhance their education, all our students have access to eight Learning Resources Centres, complete with IT labs and Mac suites.
Additionally, we have specialist campuses for different subjects. Through this, we ensure that we are providing our learners with industry standard-facilities, ranging from construction to media production.
The Centre for Creative Industries is home to a range of cutting-edge equipment and software. It also gives students access to the space they need to hone their skills in media, drama, art or photography, as they transform their academic studies into creative practice.
Our Maths and Science Centre, which opened in 2015, holds 11 purpose-build laboratories. These are all designed to the highest specifications, providing a space for inspirational teaching and learning.
Likewise, our Technology Centre offers students the latest technical software used in the industry. We’re also currently investing in our Construction Centre by way of a new state-of-the-art mezzanine which, from September, will host the new T Level qualifications.
Our Digital and Data Centre is also currently under construction. When complete, this will form part of the wider South West Institute of Technology plan, aiming to transform engineering, digital and manufacturing technology in Devon. Opening early 2021, the Centre will provide learners with educational opportunities in the digital field. This will include courses around software development, data analytics and cyber security.
On top of this, our college also works in partnership with leading regional and national businesses and sports teams. This month we announced our newest collaboration, as the BBC is set to open a new studio in our Centre of Creative Industries. All our partnerships provide students with the opportunities to continually achieve their educational goals and even develop beyond the curriculum.
It’s not too late to apply online to study with us for the September start. Once the requested documents have been submitted and reviewed, all students will be given a conditional offer.
