Hello! Who are you and what are you studying? 

Hi! I’m Marcia-Belle and I’m studying a Construction T Level in Design, Planning and Surveying. I’m in my second and final year of my studies. 

What motivated you to choose your course? 

I did a Construction GCSE, so I got into it through there; we had workshops, did woodwork, designs, planning and online work. My grandad also works in the construction industry, so throughout my life I would learn bits and pieces from him; my dad came here and studied some of the construction courses as well, so my family and school got me into it. 

How are you finding your studies and do you feel like you’ve made the right decision with your course? 

100% I’ve made the right choice with my course. I love it and I’ve really learned so much, but it’s the people that are the best thing about the course. It’s a very small class – only 11 of us – and we’ve all become very close, and I really do treasure the people in my class. 

Where did you do your work placement and how did you find it? 

I am doing my placement with WJ Construction where I work once a week. I do a lot of shadowing and I’ve done a lot of work with their sustainability team because that’s what I’m really interested in. 

I really enjoy it because it gives a proper real-life experience of working in a company. When I joined, they said they wanted to allow me to try a bit of everything, which I’ve managed to do. I’ve really been accepted into the company culture too. 

Have you encountered any challenge at your workplace and how did you overcome them? 

I think my biggest challenge has been opening up to new people. I’m one of the first student placements they’ve taken on, so it’s been a lot of adjustment for myself and the company. Meeting all the new people and trying to impress them because they’ve been doing their job for years and I’m obviously very new. 

But I think that’s also one of the best parts because you’re the new face and you get to have a fresh impression for everyone – and you can ask a lot of questions!

What are your highlights from your time at the College?        

There are many! I’d definitely say one highlight has been my sustainability work with the College – I’m in the Student Sustainability Committee and I took part in the Planet Earth Games and won the student prize at MK College, which was exciting. Student of the Year is another one of my top highlights – the event was the greatest thing ever and I loved how student-run it was with the Catering students working there. 

I also met my best friend in College. I think the College is a great place for making friends because it’s a very non-judgmental place. One thing I love about the college culture is how people express themselves with how they dress. 

I like being more independent with my work and I’d say the highlight of the College has been the independence in how you produce your work – you can take your own lead on it. 

Have you done other courses at the College as well? 

Yes! I participated in the “Embedding Sustainable Procurement” online class, which was part of the Planet Earth Games – I somehow managed to convince my class to come to it with me! It was really nice to share my interests with the class. 

I also did a Retrofit course, which is about how you can better old buildings. 

What are your future career aspirations? What are your plans for achieving them? 

I’ve signed up for the HNC in Construction next year which would be good because it’s one day a week and the rest of the time I would be working. I’m planning on taking the Sustainability online course as well. 

I really would love to create something as well; one of my biggest dreams is to create my own company and I’m hoping to work with a company that would give me the experience for starting my own business.

What advice would you give to someone applying for your course at Milton Keynes College today? 

I really do recommend my course, especially for those who want to go into the construction industry but aren’t sure which section of it. The College is a great opportunity to try a bit of everything. 

I’d say don’t stress it too much. I feel like for a lot of people who join the College, it’s the only thing on their minds. Do think about how much other stuff you can enjoy while you’re here, the people and the experiences. Do the work but also make time for doing what makes you happy. Have fun with it as well!

To learn more about the T Level in Construction (Design, Surveying and Planning) at Milton Keynes College, read more here and to see our full T Level offering read more here.