Trades

Please note, applications are open for waiting list only at Ayr Campus.

Painting and decorating is one of several trades which supports the massive industry known as construction - the building of houses, commercial premises (like shops, hotels or offices) and industrial premises (like factories or warehouses). Other trades within construction include bricklaying, and carpentry and joinery. Skilled tradespeople usually find themselves in high demand - from homeowners as well as industry - so if you invest in your abilities now, you could have a great future ahead!

If you’d like to learn a trade, then this course is a great place to start. All our trades staff are highly skilled and experienced, and fully committed to sharing their expertise and knowledge with you. Ayrshire College is also recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Construction Industry Training Board, so there really is no better place for men and women to come and learn a trade!

While you don't need any formal qualifications or experience for entry to this course, completion of the Semester 1 Award Course would be an advantage.

You must have a real interest in construction and in particular, painting and decorating. If you are not progressing from the Semester 1 award course you’ll also need to come in for interview.

This is a real practical course which gives you a great introduction to the skill of painting and decorating. You’ll learn the various techniques and tips of the trade to do a top job on any type of surface, including walls, ceilings, doors, windows and skirtings.

We’ll help you develop your skills for employment, such as working as part of a team.

Here's just some of what you'll be doing:

• You’ll start by learning about the tools and equipment a good decorator uses - from scrapers and rollers, to filling knives and chalk lines.
• In painting, you’ll learn how to prepare a surface, and techniques for priming and painting. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll move onto the fancy stuff and how to apply decorative effects, such as rag rolling and stenciling.
• On the papering side, you’ll look at how to prepare a wall - from stripping and sanding, to filling and sizing. Then the tricky bit - hanging paper like a pro! You’ll start with a simple, straightforward area, then develop your skills with papering around corners, matching designs and hanging paper to ceilings.
• You’ll also have the chance to put your new skills into action, with a real craft project. This might be in the local community, such as painting the premises of a local charity or shop fronts in the town. Or it might be a project you carry out in college. Whatever the job, we’ll make sure employers get to see it and the new skills you’ve now got.
• Along the way, you’ll explore the construction industry as a whole, the different trades within construction, the huge variety of roles and who does what on a project. You’ll also learn about health and safety, to avoid putting yourself or anyone else at risk of an accident.

In this course you will have built transferable Essential Skills in meaningful contexts to help you become more effective in life, learning, and work. This could be communication, numeracy, ICT, working with others, and problem solving.

When you successfully complete this course, you’ll have the choice of:

• Moving onto NPA Construction (Painting & Decorating) (Level 5)
• Seeking to start your career in painting and decorating with an apprenticeship