Case studies

I’m going to a building company once a week for work experience and they’re going to show me all the different jobs I can do in the company. I’ll get to have a go at them too. Hopefully, this will give me an idea of what I want to do for a job.

There are seven Principal Learning areas to cover, including design processes, using tools and the environment. I’m also taking an Edexcel Level 2 BTEC Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment for my Additional and Specialist Learning. This will help me develop my carpentry and joinery skills.

The place where I’m doing work experience is letting me use one of my own project ideas on a real contract. They fit kitchens, so I’ve come up with my own design. I’ll work out the cost and once the kitchen is fitted, I’ll compare the planned cost with the actual cost of putting it in. I want to make a chart to show the differences and what affected the end cost.

I’m keeping my options open. I’ll wait to see what areas I like most during work experience, then I’ll try to get a job training in it. One day I’d like to run my own business and it would be great if I could do that in construction.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.

As part of my Additional and Specialist Learning, I’m doing a Geography AS Level and a Level 3 National Certificate in Housing. These will go well with the seven areas of Principal Learning I have to cover for the Diploma.

The Diploma teaches us so much about the built environment, like design, planning, green influences, health and safety, community and more. I’m really excited about working in construction in the future.

I’m doing a three week work experience placement with the local planning department. I can’t wait to see what goes on. I already know that I’m going to be working with them on a new shop and housing development. It’s causing some problems with the public. I’ll get to work on a press release and go to meetings where the locals will say what they think.

The placement will help me with my project too. I’m going to look at the way developments affect neighbourhoods, how this is shown in the news and what it all means. It’s something I can really get my teeth into.

I want to go onto university but before I do that I might look for work in town planning or urban regeneration to start with. I want some time to work out what I like or what I’m good at. This will help me decide, and earn some money at the same time. I’d also really like to travel abroad and see new places, as well as how different countries plan developments too.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.

I’m going to learn all about design, including the different stages of it and the things that affect it. Like being green or making things safer. There are seven areas to the Principal Learning part of my course, so a lot to take in.

For my Additional and Specialist Learning I’m doing a Level 3 Award in CAD skills, AS Level Maths and a Level 3 BTEC Award in Health and Safety. These are all really useful and necessary for the work I want to do.

I’m going to work on a project where I make the plans and designs to turn waste land into something for the local community. I’m going to come up with a couple of ideas and present them to a committee using everything I’ve learnt.

I’m going to be doing work experience too. One placement is in the county surveyor’s office and the other is in an architects’ practice. I’ll find out what’s involved in planning and designing a building using CAD for real.

I might go on to do a Technical Advanced Apprenticeship in Construction. This will give me the hands on experience I want and I can do a technical qualification at the same time. I’ll take an NVQ and a technical certificate of some sort as part of my Apprenticeship.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.