College Carpentry Students Excel in Regional Skill Build Qualifier

George secured first place in the competition, while Taylor achieved an impressive third-place finish, showcasing the standard of practical skills developed at the College.

The competition, held on Thursday, 19th March, tested students across several stages of carpentry work. Students began by drawing out the wall plates on a piece of sheet material. They were assessed against marking criteria such as fine, neat pencil lines and good accuracy, which were checked by the judges on the day. These components had to be assembled before moving on to the next stage.

After completing the wall plate section, the learners were required to mark out and produce a multi-bevelled centre post element using saws and hand planes. This stage was particularly important, as it affected how the next roof rafter element would fit.

The final element involved drawing the rod for the roof rafters. Once this had been checked by the judges, it was used to mark out and produce the rafters.

Once the learners had completely assembled the product, they were taught how to finesse the workpiece and gain points for the competition.  

Brandon Wareham, Instructor for the course, said: “The learner's success was aided by a spirited team effort by all the staff on the carpentry team, offering knowledge and guidance, but mainly the learner's aspiration to succeed. We're waiting for the next couple of months for other qualifiers to finish to see if any of our winners move on to the grand final later in the year.” 

The students’ success highlights the development of practical skills at Bournemouth and Poole College, where learners gain valuable hands-on experience in real-world settings, ensuring they are well prepared and confident for the workplace. 

 Students interested in studying a Carpentry course, can explore their options here.