Do you want to make your mark on Manchester or even the world? With a career in construction or engineering, you’ll be able to see the results of your work for years to come.
Why study construction & engineering in Manchester?
One look at the number of cranes dotted across the Manchester skyline will tell you that the construction sector is booming in this city.
There’s huge demand for highly skilled tradesmen, from architects to joiners and plumbers, and no better place to learn your new trade than at The Manchester College - the No.1 College in Greater Manchester for achievement*.
*As per the National Achievement Rates Tables 21/22
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Can you reach your potential in Construction and Engineering? You can with us!
Make it possible today, view our range of Construction and Engineering courses and apply to study at the No.1 College in Greater Manchester.
Our Construction & Engineering Courses
If you’re 16-18 and you've obtained the necessary entry requirements, you’ll be able to join our Industry Excellence Academy from Construction and Engineering and study one of our brand new T Levels in Construction.
These industry focused qualifications are worth the equivalent of three A Levels and have been designed in collaboration with our industry partners Bowmer and Kirkland, Caddick Construction, Conlon Construction, Kier Regional Building RW, Lovell Homes, NG Bailey, Vinci Construction UK, Wates Construction and Willmott Dixon, and provide a minimum 45-day industry placement.
Plus, you'll benefit from our Architectural and Construction Engineering (ACE) Scholarship which has been designed to find and shape talented individuals who will help to build Manchester’s future. The scholarship will help you master the exact skills that local employers are looking for while you study one of our brand new T Levels in Construction.
If you’d like to progress onto our T Level but don’t currently have the entry requirements then you’ll still be able to do this by first choosing to study one of our Level 2 T Level Transition programmes.
Alternatively, you’ll join our Centre of Excellence for Construction and Engineering when you enrol on any of our qualifications from Level 1 through to Level 3, studying trades such as Brickwork, Carpentry and Joinery, Plumbing and much more.
Construction & Engineering Career Paths
There are so many career paths you can take in the construction sector. Whichever path you’re thinking of taking, we can help you to get started on your journey with a relevant course.
Bricklaying
As a bricklayer, you’d be able to see the results of your hard work for the rest of your life. Our brickwork courses will teach you everything you need to know, from the craft itself to estimating costs and working in a safe, professional manner to an accepted code of practice. You’ll also be gaining valuable work experience.
Construction
If you’re not sure which trade is right for you, the following courses can help you to build skills in a wide range of areas. You’ll explore bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, plastering, painting and decorating and plumbing. You’ll also gain a greater understanding of what it’s like to work in the industry, and learn more about how to behave in the workplace, including keeping yourself and others safe on a building site.
You can use these courses to help you decide which trade to specialise in, or as a route to setting up your own maintenance or home improvements company.
Carpentry and Joinery
Are you considering a career as a carpenter or joiner? If you want to learn the essential skills required by the construction industry, and earn a widely-recognised qualification, then these are the courses for you.
Once you graduate, you could find yourself working on everything from staircases to timber frame buildings. So you’ll need to learn a wide range of essential skills during your time with us, including how to carry out first fix flooring, roofing, frames, partitions and stairs. You’ll also explore carpentry maintenance and second fixing operations, as well as learning how to set up and operate a circular saw.
Electrical Installation
Are you fascinated by how electrical systems work? If so, do you want a career building and maintaining electrical installations in machines or structures? These courses can get you started on your journey.
As you progress through the levels, you’ll explore a wide range of areas within electrotechnical technology.
You’ll be learning the principles of electrical science, as well as getting hands-on practical experience with electrical installations technology. You’ll also discover more about what life would be like out in the workplace, and what would be expected of you, including how to keep yourself and team mates safe.
By the time you reach the Level 3 course, you’ll have the basic skills and experience you need to progress into the workplace.
Engineering
If you’re interested in a career in engineering, these courses are the perfect place to start.
On the Level 2 course, you'll explore the engineered world, and will cover several areas in greater detail, including mathematics for engineering, health and safety, and engineering materials. You’ll also choose other units based on your own interests.
Once you’ve completed our Level 2 Bricklaying course, you’ll have a solid understanding of the discipline, and be ready to deepen your understanding and gain even more skills on a Level 3 course or apprenticeship.
Painting and Decorating
As a painter and decorator, you’d be transforming homes for a living.
Our vocational painting and decorating qualification will give you the chance to build your skills through hands-on, practical sessions. You’ll learn everything from preparing surfaces and applying paint by brush and roller, to erecting and dismantling access equipment and working platforms. You’ll also explore specialist decorative finishes and a wide range of other topics.
These qualifications are widely recognised in the construction industry, so will set you on the path to a rewarding career.
Plastering
Skilled plasterers are always in demand, and these courses will give you the skills and qualifications to set yourself up in business.
As well as learning how to apply plastering materials to interiors, and fix dry linings and plasterboards, you’ll explore the other key things you need to know if you’re to work as a plasterer. These include keeping yourself, and others, safe.
As you progress through the courses, you’ll expand your knowledge in a number of different areas, and have the opportunity to focus on either solid or fibrous plastering. By the time you finish at The Manchester College, you’ll have laid the groundwork for a successful career.
Plumbing
If you’re thinking about a career as a plumber, The Manchester College can help you to gain the skills and qualifications you need. You’ll cover all the basics of plumbing, such as hot and cold water supplies and sanitation. You’ll also explore the different paths you might want to specialise in, such as domestic heating, and gain a solid working knowledge of the industry. As part of your journey with us, you’ll discover what will be expected of you out in the workplace, and find out how to keep yourself, and others, safe while you’re working.
Once you’ve achieved your Level 3 qualification, you’ll be ready to get out and apply for jobs or set yourself up as a self-employed plumber.
Our Tutors
We believe that students generally learn best from tutors who have real-life experience of their subject. So you’ll find that most of your tutors will have worked in the construction industry for several years before joining The Manchester College.
Get to know some of our tutors:
Ayub Moosa - Assistant Principal
Ayub took over as Assistant Principal for Automotive, Construction, Engineering and Logistics in April 2022 having previously been Head of Automotive and Logistics. He has 12 years’ management experience in the automotive industry and has a particular interest in helping students (whatever their age) to find a job they love in their chosen sector.
With this aim in mind, he makes sure that our courses meet the requirements of local and national employers. He works closely with companies to identify skills gaps, which our courses can then fill.
Gary Wallworth - Carpentry and Joinery Tutor
Gary was named Joiner of the Year at the 2019 On The Tools Awards. He has an impressive professional background in site carpentry and is an expert bench joiner. Gary is heavily involved with Band of Builders – the construction workers’ charity. He’s also appeared on BBC TV programme ‘The One Show’, to judge viewers’ own joinery tasks.
Our Location and Facilities
When you enrol on one of our Construction and Engineering courses at our Openshaw or Wythenshawe campuses you’ll benefit from some of the most technologically advanced training centres in the North West.
Whichever campus you choose to study at, you’ll be working in simulated working environments with industry-standard equipment and a range of specialist construction workshops which include bespoke areas for scaffolding, refrigeration and fire sprinkler installation.
We've invested £25 million redeveloping our Openshaw campus and have built brand new, state-of-the-art workshops and facilties for students in our Industry Excellence Academy from Construction and Engineering with some of our students even helping to build them during their work placement with Caddick Construction.
Find out more
Find out even more about our Construction and Engineering department in our subject area guide or on our YouTube playlist:
Part-time construction courses for adults
Balance your studies with your existing work and commitments with a short course or part-time course in construction specialisms that will help you develop the skills you need to progress in your career.
Go further with our Centre of Excellence for Adult Education and study a 19+ adult course starting in 2023/24!
Browse our wide range of courses and apply today.
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Explore our courses in Construction.
Top Careers Opportunities
Electricians & electrical fitters
Average Salary £34,840
Plasterers
Average Salary £31,200
Carpenters and joiners
Average Salary £27,560
Elementary construction occupations
Average Salary £24,960
Saraya Cowan • Construction and Engineering Studenthad been wanting to go to college for a while to change my career, but I didn’t think it would fit in with my other commitments. Surprisingly it has, because the College has been so supportive and now I get to follow my dreams.
In one of The Manchester College’s 19 Centres of Excellence you’ll develop the skills and gain the qualifications that you need to take the next steps towards your dream career.
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In our unique Industry Excellence Academy you’ll benefit from a programme of study that has been co-developed, and is co-delivered, with one of our industry partners.
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