Katie tells us how her City and Guilds course has given her the skills and confidence to follow her dream of a career in woodwork…

Name: Katie Bazell
Course: City and Guilds in Woodwork
Institution: Hammersmith and Fulham  Adult Education Centre

‘After finishing a degree in photography I still wasn’t satisfied with the career path I had chosen and felt I wanted to learn a new skill. I’ve always been interested in carpentry and after looking into my options decided to do a City and Guilds in Woodwork at the Hammersmith and Fulham Adult Education Centre.

The course itself was moulded around the basics of woodwork with an emphasis on joinery. I gained an understanding of how to hand carve joints, as well as learning how to use the tools and machinery of the business. We were also encouraged to take an interest in the design element of woodwork and we had lessons in technical drawing. We learnt about different types of wood, their uses within the industry and how they react in particular environments.
The class was small enough for us to get one-on-one attention from the teacher when we needed it, but we were also left to get on with our projects, which gave me the confidence to try and solve any problems on my own. I got a great deal of enjoyment from doing a City and Guilds, not only because it meant that for one day a week I was doing something solely for myself, but it also gave me the skills to carry on pursuing my career in carpentry.’