The graduates have all completed the award-winning Russell WBHO Building Student Programme, a professional apprenticeship combining a five-year part time degree with in house and on-the-job training with the Manchester-based contractor.
Alex Galloway, Duncan Kay, George Carus and Marcus Crawford have completed degrees in Quantity Surveying, while James Ashton and James Brown have graduated with degrees in Construction Project Management.
The programme, which saw Russell WBHO named Best Large Employer at the University of Salford Apprenticeship Awards in 2020, is overseen by construction director John Millward, commercial manager Andrew Walker and commercial director Nick Sunderland.
Students enjoy rotations through six different departments in their first two years, working on a range of different projects across various sectors. After experiencing everything from pre-construction and quantity surveying to site management and health and safety, the building students then select a specialism for their final three years.
John Millward said: “The Building Student Programme is designed to bring talented young people into the construction industry and provide the company with young professionals with the right skills and qualities to help drive our business forward. To that end, we invest considerable time, energy and resources into nurturing our future managers and leaders, and I must thank all those colleagues, mentors and managers who are so generous in sharing their time and knowledge with the students.
“Our vocational in-house training complements the university syllabus brilliantly and provides the students with the ideal combination of theory and practice, and the crucial experience of working in a busy live environment as part of a team.
“These students have worked extremely hard and the results speak for themselves. The four firsts and two 2:1s are testament to the hard work put in by students and mentors alike, especially considering the additional challenges this cohort faced through the pandemic challenges.”
He added: “I’m thrilled for them all. It doesn’t seem five minutes since we shortlisted and selected this particular year group, let alone five years!
“It is great to see them develop as characters and gain confidence over the five years. We’ve purposely exposed them to tasks outside of their comfort zone and they have always risen to the challenge with huge success.
“Following their graduation, we will continue to support their career development at Russell WBHO and mentor them through the professional chartership process.”
MEET THE GRADUATES