Level 1 City & Guilds Diploma in Pre Apprenticeship
What is the Course About?
Faculty: Environment and Sustainability
Department: Construction
The construction sector is vital in contributing to the Islands economy and in providing the essential infrastructure to support other sectors. In light of the current economic climate it is more essential than ever to gain skills and qualifications in this area, to improve future prospects and career progression. All our tutors are experienced master craftsmen and women and progression through the course might be able to provide an opportunity for an apprenticeship or full time employment in the construction industry.
What subjects will I study?
The course is broken down into a mixture of units from:
• Introduction to Health & Safety (Mandatory)
• Brickwork
• Carpentry
• Electrical Installation
• Painting & Decorating
• Plumbing
A course specific handbook can be found on the City & Guilds Website:
Days and hours of attendance
Will be communicated to you following enrolment, before the start of the academic year
Specialist uniform and/or kit required
Clothes suitable to work in a workshop and safety footwear.
Useful links
What happens once I have applied?
We will send you an email to let you know we have received your application. If you are new to the course area you have applied for, you will be invited to an Information Sharing Appointment (ISA) along with all other applicants to the course.
Please note: applicants are invited to ISAs depending on the date the application was received (there is limited capacity for each ISA so you may not be invited to the same one as other applicants who have applied for the same course). You will receive your invitation via email, to the email address you used when setting up your UCM Learner Portal.
Popular Courses
Sometimes we get a high volume of applications for particular courses. If your first choice course is popular, we’ll let you know and ask if you would like us to process your second choice course as well. This doesn’t mean you won’t be considered for your first choice it just provides you with a back-up plan.
International/UK Applicants
If you are an international/UK applicant someone from UCM will contact you remotely. It is essential that you have uploaded copies of your results/ certificates and relevant translations of grades/ certificates. Please note, if you are an international applicant and your application is received later than the end of May (i.e. three months before the start of the academic year) we will not be able to process it as the immigration processes would exceed the timescale required to start in September.
What do I need to know about Information Sharing Appointments (ISAs)?
Do I have to attend an ISA?
If you are invited to an ISA, you must attend!
What happens if I can’t attend the ISA I’m invited to?
Please let us know and we will make sure you are invited to an ISA on a different date.
What happens if I don’t attend an ISA?
If you fail to attend two ISAs without letting us know why, we will assume you don’t want us to continue with your application.
How long will the ISA take?
The ISA will start at 4:30 p.m.
(If parents/carers bring you to the ISA, they can wait in the College’s refectory; there are vending machines available.)
What can I expect at the ISA?
You will be welcomed to the department and given a presentation about the course by one of the course lecturers. This will include information about the course that you have applied for and the construction sector. You will be shown around the department and the relevant classrooms and workshops. There will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. Finally, the next steps will be explained to you as to what happens after the ISA and what else you may be required to do.
What should I wear?
Casual clothing
What will I need to bring?
Just yourself
Who do I contact if I have mobility or additional educational needs that I would like to discuss before the ISA?
Please email applications@ucm.ac.im
What happens once I’ve attended an ISA?
We will contact you within 5 working days of the ISA to either:
• make you an unconditional offer (i.e. a definite place on the course);
• make you a conditional offer (i.e. a place on the course IF you get the results required in the summer exams);
• suggest you apply for another course because the one you have applied for is not suitable for you (if this is the case it is likely we will have discussed this with you during the ISA).
What happens if I get an unconditional offer?
You will be invited in to enrol, which is when you are given your student card. This may happen in the summer, if not you will be enrolled at the start of your course.
What happens if I get a conditional offer?
If you have applied for an FE course, you will need to upload your results to your UCM Learner Portal, once you get them (e.g. GCSE, BTEC). We will then check to see you have got what is needed for the course and, if you have, we will convert your offer to unconditional, which means you definitely have a place on the course. You will be enrolled at the start of your course (that’s when you get your student card).
If you are unlucky and don’t get what you need for the course you applied for, you will be invited in to find out what else is available to you at UCM.
What are my progression and career options?
Successful completion of this course will assist students in progressing onto:
• Craft apprenticeship *
* Will require additional qualifications for Electrical Installation & Plumbing
How will I be assessed?
The course commences in September. Each unit is split into mainly practical with some theory elements.
Health & Safety and Introduction to the Construction Industry are theory based units. Achievement is based upon continuous assessment, which is carried out throughout the year and is unit based. Students that have an F or lower in English or Maths are required to attend function skills as part of the course. Students that already have a D or E in English or Maths will be given the opportunity to re-sit one GCSE free of charge as part of their life skills development.
Entry requirements
You will need to have a minimum of two GCSE’s at grade E as well as having a keen interest in construction and a clear commitment to the course with the desire to succeed.
As applications for this course are usually high and available student spaces are strictly limited, you are encouraged to make an application to College as soon as practicable.
You will be required to undertake a suitability assessment as part of the application process.