Selby College Construction Department build collaboration with Torsion Group

Selby College’s Level 3 Construction students recently had a Q&A session with three members of Torsion Group’s Operational and Management team who came to visit the department.

The students who are studying for the BTEC National Subsidiary Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment were able to find out more about the company from this initial meeting and also about different pathways into Construction, career progression and job roles, the challenges the company faces and the key skills they would require to succeed in a very competitive and fast-moving environment.

The UK-wide company, which was established in 2015 and has its Head Office at Thorpe Park, near Leeds, develops and delivers large accommodation-based schemes covering Student Accommodation, Care to Residential and Housing sectors. Torsion offers a solution-focused progressive approach to Construction that challenges traditional aspects of the industry, namely improving sustainability and safety as well as economic advantages.

Following on from this session, the same group of students recently visited one of Torsion’s sites in Sheffield’s city centre. The seven-storey Bailey Street development, with a value of £14 million, will provide 220 bed student accommodation on completion.

The Selby students were given an extensive tour by site managers, exploring all levels of the build, including bathroom pod technology and the physical structure. The specialised design concept sees large parts of the build constructed off-site using the latest Sigmat technology.

Jacqui Dean Day, Lecturer in Construction and the Built Environment at Selby College said: "As a department we are really excited for the start of a fantastic long-term employer collaboration with Torsion. Working alongside employers ensures our students have the opportunities to really engage with the construction processes. It is essential that our students can ‘put the pieces together’ and are given a clear link from classroom theory sessions, to experiencing at first-hand how multi-million pound projects are delivered. Thank you Torsion for your valuable time, and the insight and passion for the industry you enthusiastically shared with our students!"