The last week of the first Skills Builder group today! We had to cancel last week due to the weather so finishing off this week instead.
Time has flown by very quickly and we've decided to extend the next programme to 12 weeks instead of 8 to give us all a bit more time to get things done!
Started with fried eggs and mushrooms on a bap today - great start to a cold snowy day practising dry stone walling skills.
Everyone was keen to learn the wall building skills and stayed outside even when the snow started coming down thick and fast, although a hot drink was gratefully received halfway through the morning!
The group stripped the wall down and prepared the stone adjacent to the wall site, separating different sizes into rows. They learnt how to use poles and string either side of the wall to make an 'A' shape and follow the line of the string as they build upwards, using the small stones to infill the middle of the wall. It was very satisfying seeing the wall grow upwards and many of the group are interested in developing these skills further on different walls. We've got a few other walls we'll be working on over the next few weeks so should be plenty of opportunity for this.
We'll be meeting the new groups next week and some of the previous group have asked to continue with us, so they'll be able to share skills and mentor the new-starters.
Everyone who has completed the programme will walk away with a British Safety Council Level 1 Award in Health & Safety in the workplace and an Open College Network Level 1 Award in Practical Work Skills which includes a portfolio of all the work they've completed, and a John Muir Award. They will also have work-references from tutors, supervisors and rangers they've worked with.
