Students learn to produce decorative finishes using brushes, rollers, and stencils.

In this unit students will look at, assess, and review their skills. These are the skills which all employees require to be successful in the workplace, and include punctuality and timekeeping, taking instructions and advice, keeping the workplace tidy, being aware of health and safety, as well as interpreting drawings, and developing measuring, cutting, and fixing skills.

Students learn to build short lengths of wall, half a brick thick, to simple plans. The work has to meet agreed quality standards.

Students learn to cut, assemble, and join plastic pipework. They follow given drawings and use bends and T-pieces to produce the finished item.

Students learn to measure, cut, and fix timber and sheets. They learn first and second fix techniques on small scale structures.

Students build brick walls according to simple plans and to a certain standard, so gaining experience of real brick bonding techniques.

Students learn to assemble small scale frames and panels. They learn to make and fit a replacement panel to match existing ones.

Students carry out a range of painting tasks using waterborne paints. This will include a two coat approach.

Students learn to wire up and connect a range of electrical fittings.

Students learn to use plastereing materials and equipment.  They will apply plaster to a wall, and make a simple plaster moulding.

Students learn to cut, assemble and join copper pipework to match given drawings.

Students will learn to fit tiles to a simple pattern, with correct gauge and overlap.

These are usually National Certificate (NC) courses as a full-time college student.   They give students knowledge and skills training which will be certificated with the SQA.   They can lead on to HNC, HND and degree courses.

You may be able to get an employer to take you on with your Intermediate 1 or 2 certificate, with the offer of on the job training or  a modern apprenticeship.   You need to be quite clear what is on offer before accepting such a post.  In the construction trades you should use the CITB or SECTT pathways.

This course, a school/college or school/employer partnership, leads on from the Intermediate 1 course.