Following on from yesterday’s #12DaysofHCE kickoff, we’re continuing our festive giving by supporting the amazing team at Mind in Bradford!
Mind in Bradford is a mental health-focused organisation, whose emphasis is on destigmatising mental health and offering support through informing and advising those in need. The group also fight for societal change through their various campaigns, like pushing for better mental health care in hospitals, as well as urging the government to improve their standards surrounding the issue.
The group is currently underway with their Winter Appeal, offering companies the chance to sponsor a bauble on their virtual Christmas tree in an effort to raise £15,000 to support the incredible work they do. This amount of money, according to them, could fund 1,090 calls to Guide-Line, over 540 crisis support sessions, or allow 68 children and young people to get 8 weeks of one-on-one mental health support through the charities Know Your Mind service.
To assist in this admirable goal, we donated £500 to sponsor a bauble of our own! This is our third time supporting them as part of our 12 Days of HCE initiative, and we couldn’t be happier knowing just how much of an impact they can make with the funds they raise.
To learn more about their Winter Appeal, and all of the crucial work they do, visit the Mind in Bradford website here.
It’s that time of year again! We’re kicking off our yearly #12DaysofHCE Christmas campaign, donating to several incredible charities and community groups across the north of England!
This year we’re starting things off with the Howarth Foundation, an incredible group that helps homeless individuals get back on their feet through meaningful employment. We’ve had a long-standing partnership with the team for several years, supporting them through donations, participating in their fundraising events, and even employing members of our staff who came through the Howarth Foundation.
Recently, they partnered with Halifax charity group Calderdale Smartmove, whose mission is to “inspire local disadvantaged people on their journey to independence by providing housing support and education tailored to their specific needs”. The two organisations share a common goal: bringing stability and livelihood to the disadvantaged. To do this, they’re joining forces in an initiative to help underprivileged families across Calderdale, Kirklees, and Bradford by supporting them during the festive period through parcels and toys.
We couldn’t be more pleased to donate £400 to the Howarth Foundation to begin our season of giving back. Our partnership with their incredible team that is devoted to making a difference is inspiring, to say the least, and we can’t wait to see how they make an impact going forward., they partnered with Halifax charity group Calderdale Smartmove, whose mission is to “inspire local disadvantaged people on their journey to independence by providing housing support and education tailored to their specific needs”. The two organisations share a common goal: bringing stability and livelihood to the disadvantaged. To do this, they’re joining forces in an initiative to help underprivileged families across Calderdale, Kirklees, and Bradford by supporting them during the festive period through parcels and toys.
Equal opportunity employment is a big factor for us with regards to our recruitment – ensuring everyone gets a fair chance to be considered for roles and begin their careers here at HCE, regardless of their background. As part of our commitment to our client Kier and the ongoing work at HMP Millsike, we’ve been involved with the employment of several ROTL (Release on Temporary License) workers to help them settle into new careers.
One of these workers is Kiel Tetley, who initially joined us through the ROTL programme and then was offered employment on his release from prison. Our recruitment manager Ewan Mason and RMF Group director Stuart sat down with Kiel to ask him about his experience with the ROTL process and working with Howard Civil Engineering:
How have you benefited from the ROTL program?
I secured employment post-release, which improved my confidence and mental health. I was also upskilled by HCE which benefited me and my team.
How have you found the support on site?
I’ve had amazing support on site from Kier, RMF and HCE. Great management and I always felt I could raise concerns or issues easily.
What has been the main positive from the ROTL process, and what advice would you give to others thinking about ROTL?
Being employed post-ROTL was the main positive. And I’d jump at the chance! Especially with a company like Howards.
What are your plans for the future?
Stick with Howards, and enjoy family life.
A big thanks to Kiel for taking the time to answer those questions for us, and provide some insight for others who may have the opportunity he did. Stuart also sat down to ask Ewan, as well HCE project manager Steve Dakin, some questions about working with the RMF Group and the ROTL programme:
What was your perception of the ROTL program prior to engaging with the process? What have been the main challenges?
Ewan visited two prisons, Wealstun Prison and Hatfield Prison, interviewing 10-15 ROTL lads. We upskilled the workers on site for a specific role after asking them what they felt comfortable doing, and what they were most interested in completing, then offered the training.
How did you overcome these challenges?
Having open and honest conversations with our site team and the ROTL candidates helped considerably. We trialled the lads in various teams and roles to see what was most successful, and once it stuck we found the guys to be a huge help to our more technical works. ROTL candidates had confidence in traffic marshalling and were more than happy to go through any training to upskill.
What advice would you give to any other clients looking to engage with ROTL?
Just go for it! It has been a really positive experience for us. We have seen it as an extra string to our bow that we wouldn’t have had prior, and it’s always a bonus having the satisfaction of seeing the guys progress and ultimately aid in their transition to working life.
What future plans do you have to engage with the scheme?
We would definitely use the scheme again across our other projects. The stigma has been removed for us, and we have seen huge benefits on and off site.
We hope that all of the above helps more businesses like ourselves engage in ROTL programs to give people fresh starts and better lives, and ultimately get the second chance that everyone deserves. And, to anyone out there that may be considering employment through ROTL, we hope this information helps showcase how effective it can really be!
Back in September, we took on the 15km Tough Mudder in support of the incredible Candlelighters Trust. 31 intense obstacles and 10 gruelling miles later, and thanks to some incredible company sponsors as well as a huge influx of generous donations to our cause, we were able to raise an astounding £17,330! We’ve said it before, but we’ll never be able to say it enough: an unbelievably massive thank you to every single person who supported us – your money will change lives in an infinitely positive way.
This week, we had the pleasure of delivering the money raised to the Candlelighters’ office in Leeds. Of the over £17k raised, £15,769.31 was donated via a cheque, and will allow the charity to continue providing the huge amount of support they deliver to families dealing with their unimaginable circumstances. The rest of the money was used to purchase every single item on the Candlelighters’ Amazon toy wishlist, meaning the charity’s playrooms will be filled with new toys for children to play with this Christmas!
We spoke to Partnerships Executive at the Candlelighters Trust, Iain Blackwood Hobbs, about how the donations would make an impact: “We can’t thank the [Howards] team enough for their incredible efforts to support Candlelighters. To make such an amazing donation and to purchase toys for the Play Team from their Amazon Wish List will make such a huge difference to so many families.
“We don’t receive any government funding, and the current financial climate is more challenging than ever, so their fundraising has made a tremendous difference to the charity and the families we support. All of the money raised allows us to continue providing practical, emotional, and financial support to families in Yorkshire affected by childhood cancer. The toys donated will provide some comfort and create some fun for the children in the Playrooms during their treatment and time at the hospital.”
To Iain, and all of the incredible team at the Candlelighters Trust, we want to extend our utmost thanks for all of the work they do on a daily basis to make families lives easier throughout such devastating times. It’s impossible to imagine what life would be like for some without their services, so we’re more than pleased to be able to help them continue their essential work.
Pictured on the photo (left to right): Katie Squires (LGI Play Team Leader at Ward 31), Iain Blackwood Hobbs (Candlelighters Partnerships Manager), Sophie Henderson (HCE Sustainability Manager).
If you follow our social media channels, you’ll likely have noticed our on-going series of posts celebrating Careers in Construction month. Started by Byf, they describe its purpose as increasing public awareness of construction careers, inspiring the next generation of craft professionals, and making an impact on the perceptions of a career in construction. This is the first time we’ve taken part in this campaign, so we really wanted to showcase what Howard Civil Engineering has to offer, in addition to providing any potential future employees of ours the information they need to better understand what it means to work with us! This blog post will recap everything we’ve discussed over the last few weeks in one place, so if you’re preparing yourself for your first employment opportunity in the industry, or perhaps considering HCE as your next employer, keep reading for an in-depth look at who we are and what we do.
Who Are We, And Why Us?
To kick it off our campaign, we answered two big questions for anyone who might be looking at us to help their construction career: who are we, and why should you consider us? We believe that – before detailing more on our company and what it means to work here – it’s essential to make it clear why someone should in the first place.
The short answer? We’re a multi-disciplined, industry-leading civil engineering firm in the North of England with over two decades worth of experience in our profession. But what does that mean for you?
It means that beginning and advancing your career with us guarantees you’ll be constantly learning, growing, and developing. We offer a wide range of employment opportunities, especially ones catered towards apprentices and graduates ready to begin their construction journey.
If this sounds good, then Howard Civil Engineering may be the place for you. With a variety of roles available, ranging from entry level to those requiring more experience, there’s plenty of opportunities for any and all to consider working here.
Ensuring You Are Always Up-To-Date With My Training Passport
Being up-to-date, and never feeling like you’re falling behind or being forgotten about, is essential to any working experience. That’s why we chose to highlight the innovative new training matrix we recently adopted: My Training Passport.
To put it plainly: we’re able to keep track of all our employees’ relevant training records, ensuring everyone is kept updated, organised, and never left behind with their career. For new employees and apprentices, it means a total streamlining of your induction process, ensuring the right people know what you are capable of, as well as what you need. We understand how scary and intimidating it can be to start a new job, especially when it’s your first time in a career, so making sure the entire process is as smooth as possible is just one of the ways we’re trying to help.
Get Yourself Out There At These Upcoming Career Fairs
It’s no secret that one of the best ways to get yourself out there is through career fairs. In the coming months, you’ll be able to find us at both the UTC Leeds Career Fair on November the 16th, and the Leeds Apprenticeship fair on February the 5th of next year!
Don’t hesitate to stop by and say hello to us at our booths at both of these events – we’ll be handing out useful information for those interested in coming to work for us in the future, giving you a great head start as you look for apprenticeships and other career opportunities in construction and civil engineering!
If you’re interested in paying one of our booths a visit in the near future, keep an eye out on our social media channels as we’ll be sure to remind you when and where you can find us!
What Do Our Apprentices Have To Say?
It’s vital to get a feel for a company before jumping into an employment opportunity with them. That’s why we want to highlight a recent apprentice who gave us his thoughts following work experience with Howard Civil Engineering.
After meeting us at the Leeds Apprenticeship fair, Ollie undertook work experience earlier this year, showing a keen interest in estimating. Following on from this, he made the decision to return to us for more on-site work experience – a testament to the real-world opportunities we’re able to provide!
On his experience with us he said: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time on site. [I was shown] the tasks and routines that are carried out by site engineers, and [they] gave a lot of time to explain these processes whilst also allowing me to try them out.”
We’re incredibly pleased to be able to offer the flexibility that students desperately need as they engage both their studies as well as work experience. We are committed to supporting the next generation of construction and civil engineering, and hopefully stories like Ollie’s help to reinforce that!
What Kinds Of Work Would You Be Doing?
We’re constantly hard at work on multiple high value projects, so we wanted to highlight some recently completed schemes with the aim of giving any potential applicants/those interested in a role at HCE an idea of the kinds of work we undertake!
Spread across the North of England in South Tyneside, Huddersfield and Bradford respectively, the A183 Coastal Road, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, and One City Park showcase the wide variety of locations we conduct our work in. Additionally, they exemplify the variety of disciplines we operate in; roads and sewers, ground and earthworks, reinforced concrete structures, and more. With so much variety in our work, there’s plenty of opportunity to learn, build, and grow your skills.
Finishing Up
We hope we’ve been able to provide you with some valuable insight into our business, what it means to work here, as well as give you a look at what the wider construction and civil engineering industry looks like in terms of career opportunities. With such a rich variety of roles available, new technologies to learn and utilise, and projects to be apart of, it’s never been a better time to begin your career – especially at Howard Civil Engineering as we continue to grow and expand.
Be sure to check out our careers page on our website – available here – for more information on the work we currently have open, and don’t forget to stop by our upcoming career fair booths for a chat to learn more about our business and what we can give you!
In conjunction with the on-going works in Bradford City Centre, it’s been a pleasure to provide the Valley Project with not only expert advice, but additionally the plant, labour, and materials needed prior to them taking delivery of a new toilet block. The Valley Project provides safe outdoor spaces for children and young people to meet, play, and develop socially, emotionally, and physically!
It’s no secret that we constantly strive to make a positive impact wherever our work takes us, and lend a helping hand where we can. We began by volunteering over four days, preparing the site by scraping off the existing soiled area and retained the soil to reuse onsite. We then excavated five strip foundations prior to concreting, as well as installing new drainage connections into an existing sewer. We rounded off the work by adding gravel to the footpath areas.
We know we say it a lot, but being able to volunteer our services to help worthy causes wherever possible is a huge deal for us. We’re thrilled to know that the work we’ve done in Bradford will allow children around the area to enjoy a safe space they can call their own.
For a look at more of the fantastic work the Valley Project do, head over to their website here.
TRUST US TO DELIVER YOUR PROJECT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET