About
Steven Catterall is a Carpentry and Joinery Lecturer at Preston College, where he teaches apprentices from Level 1 to Level 3. He brings over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, having started his career as a joiner manufacturing everything from skirting boards to curved staircases. After completing his joinery and advanced craft qualifications, he went on to achieve a Higher National Certificate in Building Studies.
Throughout his career, he has worked as a Workshop Manager, Estimator, and has run both a specialist joinery manufacturing business and a building company. He moved into teaching three years ago, driven by a passion to share his knowledge and experience with the next generation of tradespeople.
This is his first research presentation, developed as part of his CertEd programme. His poster explores the increasing specialisation within the construction industry and its impact on apprentices, particularly those who struggle to gain a broad enough range of workplace experience to meet qualification requirements. He aims to raise awareness of the need for vocational education to adapt in response to industry changes.
Having recently completed his teaching qualification, he is now keen to explore how digital tools—particularly virtual reality—can enhance construction training in the future.
