Forterra Construction Hub scheme delivers brick donation to Oaklands College
Leading building products manufacturer Forterra has embarked on the third year of its Construction Hub scheme, aiding construction colleges across the country with much needed supplies and resources, including Oaklands College in Hertfordshire.
The college has recently received a donation of 8,190 bricks to supplement its construction course and aid the development of its latest intake of students. They also received 540 concrete blocks to help improve the scope of their working designs.
Oaklands College is one of eight colleges with Construction Hub status, all of which now have additional materials to support the practical learning of its students.
The seven other colleges are Buckinghamshire college group, Burnley College, Hertford Regional College, Stamford College, Preston College, Truro and Penwith College, and Warrington and Vale Royal College.
With the support of Forterra, the colleges are embarking on brickwork projects including internal competitions and local community projects, with the aim of increasing the skills and enthusiasm of their students.
As a result of the recent donation, Oaklands College students have access to high quality trade standard bricks with which to complete their assessments and projects. Utilising new and specialist bricks enables students to expand their skill base and embark on more ambitious projects, including building garden walls, complex masonry structures & cavity wall construction, where appearance is essential.
Andy Rosser, Curriculum manager for Brickwork at Oaklands College, said, “Oaklands College construction department supports new recruits and apprentices to enter the construction industry in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North London. With 95 brickwork students’ this year the need for industry support has never been greater. There’s no better incentive for our students to improve their workmanship than the reward of using new Forterra bricks. Oaklands College are sincerely grateful for the support and generosity shown by one of the country’s leading brick manufacturers.”
Adam Smith, Commercial Director at Forterra said, “We are pleased to support the eight colleges that are part of Forterra’s Construction Hubs. It’s fantastic to see that the students can practice their skills on more advanced projects, and we hope the addition of these supplies will enable them to produce work of the highest quality. Forterra takes pride in supporting the continued development of high standards and technical skills in the bricklaying industry, helping to address the skills gap.”
The Construction Hubs are central to the company’s nationwide effort to inspire ambition and foster raw talent in the next generation of construction workers.
Forterra continues to support upcoming bricklaying talent in a variety of ways, including through the annual Build Skills Brick contest at Stamford College which uses Forterra’s iconic London Brick.
For more information on Forterra’s Construction Hubs, visit https://www.forterra.co.uk/about-us/community/construction-hubs/.