Fraserburgh apprentices build cornhole boards for NESCol community

May 21, 2026

Construction Foundation Apprentices based at Fraserburgh Campus have completed a hands-on project in partnership with NESCol Active Campus, creating a set of custom cornhole boards for the College.

The students are currently in fourth year at Fraserburgh Academy and are undertaking a Foundation Apprenticeship as part of their school timetable.

For their apprenticeship work-based challenge, the pupils were tasked with designing, measuring, and constructing cornhole boards from scratch. The project allowed them to put the skills they have developed throughout the term into practice, while also giving them the freedom to be creative when painting the boards.

Faye Webster, Active Campus Coordinator at NESCol, said:

“I’m always appreciative when student projects benefit the NESCol community – and these cornhole boards will definitely do that.

“Cornhole has proven to be an ideal pop-up breaktime activity across all four of our campuses. It’s quick and easy to learn, requires minimal set-up, and is highly accessible for students of all abilities and confidence levels.

“The game naturally encourages social interaction, with students chatting and enjoying some healthy competition. That all contributes positively to the overall wellbeing and sense of community on campus.

“Having more of this equipment available means I can run larger group sessions, enhancing some of the project work I deliver. It also reduces the need to transport kit between campuses – and saves money too!”

The Foundation Apprentices were the first group to use the cornhole boards. They took part in an Active Campus class activity session, culminating in a short knockout tournament.

William Emslie, Carpentry and Joinery Instructor and Assessor, NESCol, said:

“I enjoy the work-based challenge element of the Foundation Apprenticeship as it gives the students the chance to work as a team and use the practical skills and confidence they have built on the course so far.

“The design process starts with setting clear criteria, so the final product is practical and fit for purpose. In this case, the size and construction method were based on an existing cornhole board.

“Each team was then tasked with coming up with a design, encouraging creativity as well as negotiating skills as they agreed on the final concept together.

“The class worked very well on this project.”

The students were positive about the project and the course. They commented that “it was a good challenge, with lots of our measuring skills being used” and that “it was fun to work on a project in a team for a change.”

Five of the class are set to progress to full-time construction courses at NESCol after the summer, with another two returning as apprentice joiners.

Active Campus at NESCol

Active Campus Coordinator Faye is here to enhance opportunities for everyone to be active at College. All student activities, including cornhole sessions, are promoted on the Active Campus section on MyNESCol.

You can also contact Faye via email: activecampus@nescol.ac.uk