Back in January 2019, Bromsgrove based company, Tools of Trade Ltd, suppliers of a range of trade-quality tools, used South & City’s Bordesley Green campus for its expertise of tool use and as a back drop for a product photoshoot. 

Over two years later, the firm has not forgotten the college and has donated some 650 Ragni brickwork, tiling and plastering tools. These tools had become surplus stock and they wanted to donate them to the college and students.

The tools will not only support the normal teaching in the workshops, it will also help students when out on placement and also give extra capacity to use in the college’s Covid catch-up classes.

As part of the donation, the college has also been asked to provide consumer feedback by road testing the tools and rate them for usability, durability and functionality, which will be fed back to the manufacturer.

After Easter, there will be weekly trade competitions focussing on skills, trade knowledge and time-keeping, with the tools as prizes. These attributes are all key to gaining a good work placement or apprenticeship. Any remaining tools will be given as prizes at the end of the academic year at the student awards.

Simon Winder, Head of School for Trowel & Finishing Trades said “We would like to offer our sincer gratitude to Huw Grummitt and Tools of the Trade for their continued support of the college and our students. These tools will really help the college and our students immensely.”

With many large-scale building projects in the country’s second city, such as HS2, the Commonwealth Games village, and high-rise developments, construction workers including trowel trades are in high demand.