Kyne, who is studying for a BSc (Hons) degree in Quantity Surveying with the University of Portsmouth, says: “I was offered placements with various other companies, but I chose to take up the opportunity with Beard because they were a family-run business and judging from past placement students’ experience, I knew I would fit in well with the company. After the interview, I knew I would get a chance to see and do a wide range of activities such as being on site, getting a real feel for how construction works, rather than being glued to a desk.”
Kyne has already learned a huge amount in his first few months with us: “This placement has really helped me to develop my interpersonal skills, which is great because being able to communicate with colleagues, clients and subcontractors is essential in this line of work.
“So far, I’ve worked on the construction of a multi-million pound mosque that Beard is building in Tilford. I’ve been involved in helping to value subcontractors’ work, making payments, measuring-out on site, assisting in pricing variations, and logging invoices and material delivery tickets,” explains Kyne. “The company provides a really positive working environment. I’ve been made to feel part of the project team and I’ve been given responsibilities and trusted.”
Invaluable career experience
Through hands-on work experience, Kyne will have the opportunity to put classroom learning into practice and develop some of the key construction skills he will need in his future career.
“Industry placements provide ‘on the job’ training that you don’t get at university,” he explains. “I will be going back for my final year with a bundle of knowledge to help me achieve a first-class degree. I would highly recommend an industry placement with a company like Beard which has a structured training programme that supports your university course learning. Working with a professional team can be a bit intimidating, but everyone here has made me feel right at home and I’m learning new things every day.”
Building a future in construction
The UK construction sector currently faces a significant and growing skills shortage due to a rapidly ageing workforce and fewer school-leavers and graduates joining the industry. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has reported that the sector will need to find 157,000 new recruits by 2021 to keep up with demand. One of the key ways in which the industry is attempting to tackle this is through hands-on trainee schemes which construction firms like us are providing.
We invest significantly in providing construction skills and career development opportunities. This approach delivers not only a talented workforce, able to deliver high-quality construction projects, but a successful and profitable company which is achieving year-on-year growth.
Industry placements provide ‘on the job’ training that you don’t get at university,” he explains. “I will be going back for my final year with a bundle of knowledge to help me achieve a first-class degree.
