The head of a £90m construction company has issued an appeal to schools and colleges to encourage young people to consider a career in construction.
Manchester main contractor Russells Construction has launched its 2018 trainee recruitment drive, offering school leavers the opportunity to enrol on a fully-funded degree alongside a full time in-house position with the company.
The Pre-Graduate Trainee Scheme is targeting schools and colleges in the local area, asking teachers, parents and careers advisors to make sure youngsters are aware of and understand the opportunities on offer.
Andrew Russell said: “We want to engage directly with schools, colleges, parents and the students themselves, to promote construction as the great career it is. People in our industry are often faced with a negative perception and a lack of knowledge among school leavers, particularly among young women.
“In truth, construction is a well-paid and rewarding profession, with excellent career prospects, and offers a unique ability to contribute towards our built environment.
“Training schemes like these are a real alternative to a traditional degree and provide a great opportunity to secure the same qualification as the degree-only route, with the benefit of genuine work experience, a paid wage and fees covered, and that all important job at the end.”
Russells latest set of recruits are already getting their teeth into their studies and working on projects around the UK. The 2017 intake, who began their degrees in September, include Abbie Norton, Harry Warburton, Stephen Smyth and Will Mowbray, while the previous years’ intakes includes Sami Dickenson, Matt Buckley and Emma Moss.
Abbie Norton, 18 from Urmston, is on the quantity surveying track and is currently working on a number of city centre project. She said: “I’ve always wanted to have the ability to influence what I can see around me – in the sense that I am involved with the projects that are built – and I am doing just that with the jobs I’m working on. My dad is a QS with another company so I already knew quite a bit about the industry, and I’m really enjoying the course and being part of a team working on buildings that will be there for years to come.”
Harry Warburton, 19 from Swinton, wants to become a project manager. He is currently part of the team working on the 29-storey Axis apartment scheme in Manchester city centre. He said: “I think this combination of the degree course with the on-the-job experience is the ideal way to come into this industry, its vital to have both the theory and the practical expertise. We’re really lucky that Russells offers a scheme like this, with a qualification and a job at the end and without the tuition fee debt that many of my classmates will unfortunately have. I’ve had a great first few months and it’s amazing seeing a project I’m working on coming out of the ground.”
Click to find out more information about the Pre-Graduate Training Scheme.
