Esh Construction has welcomed T-Level student, Millie Watson, to site at Rivers House to complete a 45-day work placement as part of her civil engineering qualification.
Millie, aged 18, is working on site at the Rivers House refurbishment project one-day per week where she has impressed the whole site team with her quick learning and enthusiasm. The remainder of the week, Millie attends Middlesbrough College to study, as well as working part-time in a local pub.
Community Coordinator, Kate Marshall, manages T-Level placements across Esh’s schemes in the North East. She said: “Millie is a prime example of the commitment shown by students who apply for the new T-Level qualifications with colleges. T-Level students are required to complete 45 days of work experience on-site as well as sitting a number of exams. The qualification requires a lot of hard work and commitment to both college work as well as progressing on a site basis too.
“The T-Level placement was arranged as part of Esh’s social value commitments on the Rivers House development scheme in Middlesbrough. Working in partnership with Thirteen Group, the team are converting a former Thirteen office building into 18 supported housing apartments.”
Kate recently caught up with Millie to find out how she is enjoying her time on site so far and what made her pursue a career in construction.
What made you consider a career in construction?
I attended Hurworth School where construction was heavily pushed as a positive career route. After choosing Engineering as a GCSE, I attended site visits, had the opportunity to see facilities on offer at Darlington College, and there was always on push on females in construction. I found that I enjoyed the coursework I was doing, and site visits showed me a variety of options which were open to me.
Are you enjoying your time working with Esh?
I’m really enjoying my time on site. The team are helping me make the most of the experience. If there is ever an issue or problem on site, I am involved in working together with the team, they help me understand the issue at hand and together we find a solution. The team are really easy to get along with which has made the whole experience really enjoyable.
What would you say to a young person considering a career in construction?
Go for it – try it out and give it your all. On the surface, it may seem scary with a focus on manual labour, but there are many important and interesting aspects within the industry and building processes which you wouldn’t expect, such as construction law and health and safety.
How is working at Rivers House helping you with your college work, and equally how is your college work helping you with working on a live construction project?
At college, it is hard to picture the processes which you are describing in written work, whereas working it through on site helps me to fully understand what I am learning and how it is put into practice. Health and safety processes are also easier to understand as you can see in person why they are needed to keep people safe.
I am finding that during college time I know most of the answers to questions asked which makes the work much easier.
What next steps are you hoping to take in your career on completion of your T-Level, and what are your future career ambitions?
Upon completion of my course, I would like to get a higher apprenticeship with a company who could pay for my university qualification. In the future, I would like to travel with work and be involved in projects around the world.
I’m really enjoying my time on site. The team are helping me make the most of the experience. If there is ever an issue or problem on site, I am involved in working together with the team, they help me understand the issue at hand and together we find a solution."
