After a distinguished 26-year military career, Andrew Senior transitioned to civilian life by joining Esh Construction in April – and he has found significant support in his new role as a HSEQ Advisor.
Since attending the Army Foundation College in Harrogate in 1998, Andrew underwent his Phase 2 military training in Catterick and was stationed in Osnabrück in Germany for five years before returning to the UK. He completed operational tours in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan, as well as training in Keyna, Ukraine, Jordan and Canada, achieving the rank of Warrant officer (WO2).
In deciding to leave the Army, Andrew found himself seeking a role back in ‘civvy street’ and found that his knowledge skills and experience were suited to the health and safety role he has taken on with Esh. He said: “I’d had a consideration of some manual labour jobs but they didn’t really offer the longevity I needed to take me to retirement. Health and safety had always interested me, and there were many similarities between the construction industry and the military that go hand in hand.”
Esh signed up to the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in 2021 and became a Gold Covenant holder in July 2023. Through the Gold award, Esh is driving forward its commitment to supporting ex-military personnel through a variety of initiatives, including its bespoke ‘Soldiers to Site’ programme.
Andrew claims that understanding Esh’s support for ex-service personnel was a factor when applying to work for the business. Since joining in April, he has gone on to sign up as a Reservist, safe in the knowledge that Esh provides an additional 10 days of paid holiday leave for Reservists for operational and training exercises.
He explained that being a leader in the Army comes with planning high risk activities like range days which involve conducting risk assessments, surveilling the areas you are operating in, ensuring your procedures are implemented and executed professionally, and that your equipment is safe. Andrew added: “It sort of works the same in the construction industry – it’s just a different setting. The same principles are in play, you just apply them differently, but ultimately, our job is to make sure every employee goes home safe each day.”
In his role, Andrew works closely with live sites across Esh’s affordable housing division as well as visiting roads and sewers projects for Lumsden & Carroll, and the Northumbrian Water Group Runway 1 Repairs and Maintenance Framework.
He added: “There are lots of transferrable skills in the role and what is encouraging is that Esh is built on very structured foundations and operations. Everyone is working together as a team and I’m settling in well within the health and safety team. The company is extremely supportive and I’d definitely recommend other service leavers to consider Esh or other construction firms for their next move as they transition into a civilian way of life again.”
There are lots of transferrable skills in the role and what is encouraging is that Esh is built on very structured foundations and operations. Everyone is working together as a team and I’m settling in well within the health and safety team. The company is extremely supportive and I’d definitely recommend other service leavers to consider Esh or other construction firms for their next move as they transition into a civilian way of life again.”