Celebrating Success 2026: Construction Student of the Year – Bowen Holt
Level 1 Multi‑Skills
The hands‑on experience helped me decide what to do, and I really enjoyed it. Level 1 Plumbing is next for me. I feel very proud.
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Step into your future in construction trades
If you are interested in construction but are still considering which trade is right for you, Multiskills is a great place to start. This course allows you to explore a range of construction disciplines while developing the practical skills and knowledge employers are looking for.
Learn by doing
You will gain hands-on experience across a variety of trades, including bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing and basic construction techniques. Through practical projects, you will build confidence, develop workplace skills and discover where your strengths and interests lie.
Our facilities and your support
You will train in industry-standard construction workshops at Basildon College (Stephenson Road) and at Thurrock College designed to reflect real working environments. Experienced tutors will support you as you develop practical skills across multiple trades and prepare for your next step.
Where this could take you
Multiskills is an ideal progression route into specialist construction courses, apprenticeships or employment. Whether you choose bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, electrical installation or another trade, you will gain a strong foundation for a future in construction.
Student Success Stories
Our Courses
Level 1 Diploma in Construction Skills (Multi Skills)
Helping shape your career pathway
Scroll through the job areas to learn more about each pathway
Production Managers and Directors in Construction
£26,892
Entry Level Salary
£57,012.45
Average Salary
£116,885.21
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Receives reports upon work in progress to ensure that materials and construction methods meet with specifications and statutory requirements and that there are no deviations from agreed plans.
- Plans, directs and co-ordinates the construction and maintenance of civil and structural engineering works, including demolition, pipelines and pilings.
- Receives invitations to tender, arranges for estimates and liaises with client, architects, Chartered architectual technologists and engineers for the preparation of contracts.
- Liaises with other managers to plan overall production activity and construction activities, sets quality standards and estimates timescales and costs.
Construction Project Managers and Related Professionals
£32,472
Entry Level Salary
£55,195
Average Salary
£91,442.98
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Writes reports for funding bids and planning authorities and acts as expert witness.
- Examines accident ‘blackspots’ to improve road safety.
- Assesses schemes to manage traffic such as congestion charging and parking controls.
- Forecasts the impact on traffic and transport of new developments (e.g. shopping centre).
- Records, monitors and reports progress.
- Identifies defects in work and proposes corrections.
- Regularly inspects and monitors progress and quality of work, ensures legal requirements are met.
- Hires and may supervise site staff, establishes temporary site offices, takes delivery of materials.
- Plans work schedules for construction projects based on prior discussion with architects, Chartered architectural technologists, surveyors etc..
- Assembles information for invoicing at the end of projects.
- Briefs project team, contractors and suppliers.
- Draws up budgets and timescales for new construction projects based on clients’ requirements.
Building and Civil Engineering Technicians
£19,512
Entry Level Salary
£33,407.46
Average Salary
£55,674.31
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Estimates timescales for project delivery.
- Estimates project costs.
- Creates and designs plans (using computer aided software).
- Inspects construction materials and supervises work of contractors to ensure compliance with specifications and arranges remedial work as necessary.
- Sets out construction site, supervises excavations and marks out position of building work to be undertaken.
- Performs calculations and collects, records and interprets data.
- Sets up apparatus and equipment and undertakes field and laboratory tests of soil and work materials.
Inspectors of Standards and Regulations
£21,456
Entry Level Salary
£31,108.61
Average Salary
£63,986.14
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Prepares reports and recommendations on all inspections made and recommends legal action where necessary.
- Undertakes other inspections including chemicals, drugs, flight operations, etc..
- Visits premises where animals are kept, advises on animal care and investigates complaints.
- Checks fishing licences and prevents illegal fishing.
- Samples and tests river water, checks and advises on premises discharging effluent to prevent pollution.
- Verifies the weight of commercial vehicles, checks driver’s licence and hours worked.
- Investigates industrial accidents or any complaints made by the public.
- Draws attention to any irregularities or infringements of regulations and advises on ways of rectifying them.
- Visits sites during construction and inspects completed installations of electricity, gas or water supply.
- Inspects factories and other work sites to ensure adequate cleanliness, temperature, lighting and ventilation, checks for fire hazards and inspects storage and handling arrangements of dangerous materials.
- Inspects measuring and similar equipment in factories and visits street traders, shops, garages and other premises to check scales, weights and measuring equipment.
- Inspects building structures, facilities and sites to determine suitability for habitation, compliance with regulations and for insurance purposes.
- Examines building plans to ensure compliance with local, statutory and other requirements.
Electricians and Electrical Fitters
£21,492
Entry Level Salary
£39,398.99
Average Salary
£52,896.75
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Examines electrical plant or machinery, domestic appliances and other electrical assembly for faults using test equipment and replaces worn parts and faulty wiring.
- Installs electrical plant, machinery and other electrical fixtures and appliances such as fuse boxes, generators, light sockets etc..
- Assembles parts and sub-assemblies using hand tools and by brazing, riveting or welding.
- Cuts, bends and installs electrical conduit.
- Selects, cuts and lays wires and connects to sockets, plugs or terminals by crimping, soldering, brazing or bolting.
- Examines drawings, specifications and wiring diagrams to determine the method and sequence of operations.
Steel Erectors
£20,898
Entry Level Salary
£35,117.73
Average Salary
£52,931.09
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Checks alignment of metal parts using spirit level and plumb-rule.
- Arranges for or undertakes bolting and welding of metal parts.
- Directs hoisting and positioning of girders and other metal parts and checks alignment.
- Erects ladders, scaffolding or working cage.
- Examines drawings and specifications to assess job requirements.
Stonemasons and Related Trades
£23,328
Entry Level Salary
£34,265.59
Average Salary
£51,646.70
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Levels, aligns and embeds stone in mortar, concrete or steel frame with stone to make and repair structures.
- Uses hand and power tools to shape, trim, carve, cut letters in and polish stone.
- Marks and cuts stone using hammers, mallet and hand or pneumatic chisels.
- Examines drawings, photographs and specifications to determine job requirements.
Bricklayers
£19,314
Entry Level Salary
£32,793.51
Average Salary
£49,427.92
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Uses hand and power tools to shape and trim bricks.
- Places, levels and aligns bricks in mortar bed and walls.
- Mixes and spreads mortar on foundations and bricks.
- Measures construction site and lays out the first lines of bricks to mark position of walls.
- Examines drawings, photographs and specifications to determine job requirements.
Roofers, Roof Tilers and Slaters
£19,188
Entry Level Salary
£32,998.53
Average Salary
£49,736.93
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Seals edges of roof with mortar and ensures that joints are watertight.
- Lays, aligns and secures successive overlapping layers of roofing material.
- Lays and secures underfelt and covers with hot bitumen or other adhesive compound.
- Cuts wooden battens, felt and underfelt to required size.
- Measures roof or exterior wall and calculates required amounts of underfelt, tiles, slates or thatching material.
Plumbers and Heating and Ventilating Installers and Repairers
£21,096
Entry Level Salary
£34,567.57
Average Salary
£53,293.06
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Repairs burst pipes and mechanical and combustion faults and replaces faulty taps, washers, valves, etc.
- Attaches fittings and joins piping by welding, soldering, cementing, fusing, screwing or other methods.
- Tests completed installation for leaks and makes any necessary adjustments.
- Installs fittings such as storage tanks, cookers, baths, toilets, taps and valves, refrigerators, boilers, heat pumps, radiators and fires.
- Measures and cuts required lengths of copper, lead, steel, iron, aluminium or plastic using hand or machine tools.
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine layout of system.
Carpenters and Joiners
£21,330
Entry Level Salary
£34,949.99
Average Salary
£52,678.27
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Maintains and repairs woodwork and fittings.
- Checks accuracy of work with square, rule and spirit level.
- Aligns and fixes prepared wood pieces by screwing, nailing, gluing and dowelling to form frames, shop fronts, counter units, decking, theatrical sets, furniture, small wooden craft, scale models and wooden templates.
- Selects and measures appropriate wood and cuts, shapes and drills to specification using saws, planes, chisels and other power or hand tools.
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements.
Glaziers, Window Fabricators and Fitters
£21,528
Entry Level Salary
£28,899.28
Average Salary
£43,558.35
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Sets up and operates machinery to manufacture windows and window frames.
- Fixes mirror panels to interior and exterior walls and repairs and replaces broken glass.
- Applies mastic, putty or adhesive between glass and frame and trims off excess with knife.
- Smooths edges of glass and positions and secures in frame or grooved lead strips.
- Scores plain, coloured, safety and ornamental glass with hand cutter and breaks off glass by hand or with pliers.
- Examines drawings or specifications to determine job requirements.
Construction and Building Trades
£22,536
Entry Level Salary
£37,952
Average Salary
£57,203.03
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Checks and puts on diving suit and equipment and descends underwater to carry out construction, maintenance and repair tasks on sites such as oil rigs, harbours, bridges etc.
- Erects and repairs fencing.
- Maintains and repairs steeples, industrial chimneys and other high structures, and installs and replaces lightning conductors.
- Installs plumbing fixtures, woodwork structures and fittings, and sets glass in frames.
- Pours and levels concrete, prepares surfaces for painting and plastering, and mixes and applies plaster and paint.
- Lays bricks, tiles and building blocks to construct, repair and decorate buildings.
- Selects, measures and cuts steel bars, rods and wire to required lengths, positions and fixes reinforcements into position and tensions as required using hydraulic jacks.
Plasterers
£22,590
Entry Level Salary
£33,856
Average Salary
£51,594.34
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Checks surface level using line, spirit level and straight edge.
- Covers and seals joints between boards and finishes surface.
- Measures, cuts, installs and secures plaster board and/or ornamental plasterwork to walls and ceilings.
- Pours liquid plaster into mould to cast ornamental plaster work.
- Applies and smooths one or more coats of plaster and produces a finished surface, using hand tools or mechanical spray.
- Mixes, or directs the mixing of, plaster to desired consistency.
- Selects appropriate plasterboard or dry lining panels, cuts them to required size and fixes them to ceilings and walls.
Floorers and Wall Tilers
£17,964
Entry Level Salary
£34,099.33
Average Salary
£51,965.16
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Mixes cement screed or other adhesive, cuts and positions floor and wall tiles and checks alignment of tiling with spirit level.
- Finishes covering by rolling, smoothing, grouting or polishing.
- Examines premises to plan suitable layout and cuts, lays and secures underlay, carpet and linoleum.
- Cleans floor surface, fixes wooden laying guides and mixes, pours and levels granite and terrazzo mixtures, bitumen, synthetic resin or other composition mixtures to form flooring.
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements.
Painters and Decorators
£23,526
Entry Level Salary
£32,519.99
Average Salary
£49,558.36
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Stains, waxes and French polishes wood surfaces by hand.
- Mixes adhesive or removes self-adhesive backing and positions covering material on wall, matching up patterns where appropriate and removing wrinkles and air bubbles by hand or brush.
- Applies primer, undercoat and finishing coat(s) using brush, roller, or spray equipment.
- Prepares surfaces by cleaning, sanding and filling cracks and holes with appropriate filler.
- Erects working platform or scaffolding up to five metres in height.
Construction and Building Trades Supervisors
£23,382
Entry Level Salary
£34,453
Average Salary
£52,504.13
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Reports as required to managerial staff on work-related matters.
- Determines or recommends staffing and other needs to meet productivity requirements.
- Liaises with managers and contractors to resolve operational problems.
- Establishes and monitors work schedules to meet productivity requirements.
- Directly supervises and coordinates the activities of construction and building workers and/or subcontractors.
Scaffolders, Stagers and Riggers
£17,604
Entry Level Salary
£42,178
Average Salary
£64,471.37
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Forms rope slings, ladders, netting and other rigging and measures, cuts and repairs wire or fibre rope.
- Erects jib, derrick and similar hoisting equipment and installs ropes, pulleys and other lifting tackle.
- Lays and secures wooden planking to form working platforms and fixes guard rails, ladders, cradles and awnings as required.
- Examines scaffold tubing and couplings for defects and selects, fits and bolts scaffold tubes until scaffolding reaches required height.
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements.
Road Construction Operatives
£22,230
Entry Level Salary
£38,705.77
Average Salary
£59,163.89
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Removes damaged paving slabs and kerb stones, lays bedding of sand, concrete or mortar on prepared foundation, lays new slabs or stones and fills joints with mortar.
- Spreads aggregate over road surfaces using shovel, lays markings on road surface and repairs crash barriers.
- Spreads bitumen, tar or asphalt and compacts surface using roller.
- Heats bitumen in bucket, applies it to newly laid asphalt and beats or draws tamper head on asphalt to close joints.
- Cuts away broken road surface with pick or pneumatic drill.
- Sets up traffic management systems around work site such as cones, lights and barriers.
- Inspects road surfaces for hazards or signs of deterioration, clears mud, weeds and debris from road and spreads grit or salt as required.
Rail Construction and Maintenance Operatives
£24,714
Entry Level Salary
£45,195.14
Average Salary
£69,083.25
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Fastens together sections of rail by bolting fishplates to rails.
- Positions lengths of rail, sets of points and crossovers and secures rail with bolts, wooden wedges or clips.
- Spreads ballast and lays sleepers or metal plates at specified intervals.
- Lubricates points, examines fences, drains, culverts and embankments and carries out any necessary maintenance.
- Checks tightness of bolts and wedges, replaces damaged rail chairs and repacks ballast under sleepers if necessary.
- Patrols length of track and visually inspects rails, bolts, fishplates and chairs for distortion or fracture.
Construction Operatives
£20,916
Entry Level Salary
£30,470.76
Average Salary
£46,576.23
Potential Salary
Daily Tasks
- Installs electrical lighting in streets, homes and business/manufacturing settings.
- Tests joints with electronic test equipment or by filling piping with water, smoke or compressed air.
- Joints pipe by sealing with rubber, cement, lead, etc., connects piping to manholes and attaches pipe junctions as required.
- Selects appropriate asbestos, clay, concrete, plastic or metal pipe sections and lowers them into prepared trenches using hoisting equipment.
- Cuts, shapes and fits wood, lays bricks and tiles, cleans exterior surfaces of buildings and resurfaces eroded stone or brickwork, and performs other tasks in the construction, alteration, repair and demolition of buildings.
- Fills machine with insulating mixture, positions hose, drills access hole and fills cavities or coats surfaces to prevent loss or absorption of heat and provide fire protections.