Masonite launches academy with Barnsley College to grow employees of the future

Barnsley College has partnered with Masonite – a leading door manufacturer – to give students the chance to develop hands-on industry skills as part of the Masonite Academy.

Located at the Old Mill Lane campus, the new Masonite Academy joins the existing Masonite engineering academy, opened at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Centre in 2018. The new Masonite Academy has been designed to provide students with a dedicated space where they can develop their business skills with Masonite’s support and guidance.

The academy will also provide students with the opportunity to work on new and exciting projects, with the aim of some of the students gaining a role with Masonite at the end of their course.

Those joining the academy will work towards achieving a T Level business qualification – equivalent to three A Levels – and completing an industry placement over the course of a two-year programme. 

Gavin Day, UK Organisational Development Manager at Masonite, said:

“The Masonite Academy programme is a great example of our Masonite purpose, ‘We Help People Walk Through Walls’ and the college’s purpose of ‘Transforming Lives’.

“The Academy will deliver this by providing an understanding of the world of work and raising awareness of how their new skills would be applied in an industry like ours through regular interactions and engagement with Masonite colleagues. As a local employer, we are proud to continually develop our partnership with Barnsley College.”

The partnership between Barnsley College and Masonite allows students to learn from experts in their field. In addition to this, students will be able to network with employers and leverage the collaboration between both organisations.

Barnsley College’s Director of Business Development, Helen Weatherston, added:

“We are delighted to open the Masonite Academy and we are excited about the opportunities this will bring for our students. We have worked with Masonite for many years, and we are strengthening our partnership with them as well as strengthening our links with the community.”

Neil Johnson, Assistant Principal for Young People at Barnsley College, said:

“Following the fantastic success of our first cohort of T Level students, this is a wonderful opportunity for the college and in particular, our Business students.

“The success of the T Level is dependent on having exceptional relationships with employers, and the Masonite Academy is a partnership that will support their continued involvement in the design and delivery of the programme, as well as providing excellent first-hand industry experience at the heart of our curriculum.

“This is priceless in ensuring our students continue their development towards outstanding achievement and progress into higher level education or employment opportunities.”