Howard Civil Engineering is honoured to have taken part in this year’s ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’ project on BBC One for the benefit of Leeds-based charity Getaway Girls!
Over a period of two weeks, Howard Civil Engineering facilitated the construction of a new headquarters for the charity, including the provision of drainage works and the construction of a new access road into the centre. Drainage outfall connection works were carried out and installed in to the existing highway during a further one-week return visit following the acceptance of necessary road space applications.
Founded over 30 years ago, Getaway Girls has supported over 13,500 girls and young women across Leeds to learn new skills, build their confidence and raise their aspirations.
The new premises, which sits just around the corner from Howard Civil Engineering’s head office in Seacroft, will provide modern offices, a crèche, activity spaces, a music and media studio, counselling rooms and a garden area.
The facility has been built with the aim of enabling Getaway Girls to provide more opportunities for young women and girls in the city, as well as guidance and support.
Managing director Michael Howard is thrilled that Howard Civil Engineering was able to assist with the build.
“Howard Civil Engineering has always endeavoured to assist community-led projects where possible, so I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to volunteer our services and expertise for such a worthwhile project a mere stone’s throw away from our office in Seacroft,” he said.
“With the country still recovering from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it was spectacular to see how many companies in the industry, both big and small, turned up to help transform a vacant plot of land into a beacon of hope for women and girls across the city. Community spirit is definitely still alive and well!”
The building was officially unveiled by the DIY SOS team on Monday 26th September, with the Getaway Girls choir singing live on the show while presenters, Pudsey Bear, and hundreds of volunteers looked on.
Howard Civil Engineering was delighted to be awarded Kier’s subcontractor of the month in September, despite this being the first month we were on site.
Although we faced stiff competition, we were commended for our positive approach to safety, production, and environmental aspects at The New Prison at Full Sutton in York where we are currently undertaking drainage and foundation works.
Managing director Michael Howard accepted the award, and the site team were treated to a hearty breakfast to say thank you for their efforts.
A congratulations is also in order to project manager Tom Barrett who was awarded £50 from our client, Willmott Dixon, to say well done for stopping an unsafe delivery on site in Dewsbury. Tom has since donated his £50 to Fusion Housing Food Bank.
Although 22-year-old Jonty Muirhead is only two years into his apprenticeship, he feels his career at Howard Civil Engineering has already put him a step ahead of his peers at college.
Jonty became a member of the team in August 2020 and has since cut his teeth on eight different sites, gaining first-hand experience of life on site as a professional engineer. He firmly believes that this degree of participation would not have been possible without the support and trust from his managers at Howard Civil Engineering.
“I have had support from site managers and shadowed engineers to help me progress, but I definitely have had more responsibility at Howard [Civil Engineering] than other people on my course have had at their companies,” he said. “This has allowed me to gain skills quicker than I would at other places in the industry, and this has subsequently allowed more opportunities to open up for me.”
Jonty quickly got to grips with the more technical aspects of his role including using CAD, reading drawings, and setting out, but says the more hands-on responsibilities including ordering materials and operating machine GPS have done wonders for his confidence.
“I think this is a better way of learning, as some things can be overlooked when shadowing someone because that person might not think to tell you certain things which would help you learn,” he said. “I’m now much more able to deal with people relying on me for tasks to be done than I would be otherwise.”
Having completed his Level 3 NVQ in Civil Engineering, Jonty is currently working towards his Level 4 NVQ Diploma and hopes to eventually achieve his Level 6, meaning he would be qualified up to degree level.
So, what advice would Jonty give to those considering an apprenticeship in the construction industry?
“Keep safe, wear correct PPE, and always be alert on site as there is heavy plant and machinery moving all the time,” he warned. “Also, certain tasks take time to be able to be done at a decent standard. Research and practice those things. For me it was using CAD – I watched videos on YouTube and explored the software to be able to improve my skills.”
Great advice, Jonty!
Following the successful delivery of a bespoke earthworks, drainage, S278 and S38 package for Harworth Group, Howard Civil Engineering is pleased to announce that we have been awarded another scheme of works at the mammoth Gateway 36 site in Barnsley.
Gateway 36 is a new, high quality mixed-use development residing on the former site of Rockingham Colliery, just off Junction 36 of the M1. Totalling 127 acres, the new development will boast 198,000² ft of commercial space and 65,323² ft of unit space, with over 2,000 jobs estimated to be created.
Having previously assisted towards the delivery of the second and third phases with the construction of offsite highway works, onsite roads and infrastructure, and the provision of major cut and fill earthworks, drainage, new utilities, and existing utility diversions, Howard Civil Engineering has now been awarded a £2.8m earthworks package to facilitate the construction of the remaining plots.
In addition to excavating and relocating material in excess of 500,000m³, this phase of works will also see us remove, process, and reuse approximately 40,000m³ of rock.
“Gateway 36 was our first ever project award from Harworth Group, and we are delighted to have secured a second scope of works on this site,” said pre-construction director Pete Howard. “Since we started work on this site in August 2020, we have also been chosen to work with Harworth Group on their Olive Lane site in Waverley and I am thrilled that our work on these sites has been to such a high standard that we are Harworth’s contractor of choice or this next phase of works.”
SHEQ Manager Andy Rafton has been a member of the Howard Civil Engineering team for 17 years out of the company’s 19 years trading, and it’s fair to say we couldn’t imagine the company without him.
Although now a valued member of the Senior Management Team, Andy originally started out as a labourer.
Why did you decide to join Howard Civil Engineering?
Before I started working here, I was a technician working on vehicles, and I just wanted a change in direction. I’d always wanted to get into the construction industry, so when the opportunity came about to be a site labourer, I took it.
What interested you about construction?
Honestly, every element of construction interests me. There are so many facets to the industry, especially in terms of groundworks, and I’ve always been fascinated by the construction process of a project from the start of it to the very end.
How did you go from a site labourer to Health and Safety Manager?
I gradually worked my way from site labourer to general foreman and then to site manager. Throughout my time within the industry my interest in the intricacies of health and safety grew. After an incident on one of our sites that I was involved in, this intensified my interest in safety. At the time of the incident, I was already involved in the safety sides of things, doing risk assessments and method statements for the company. In 2012, I did by NEBOSH training and became the SHEQ Manager for Howard Civil Engineering. From there I have undertaken various training courses, further developing my skills and knowledge.
What is your favourite part about health and safety?
The reward of getting to a site and seeing it’s looking a million dollars! When a site is looking smart, it’s an achievement for me and it’s very rewarding.
Where do you see Health and Safety at Howard Civil Engineering going in the next few years?
Techno! I see us going digital and therefore paperless, I see us using HAVS monitors to expand our occupational health program for our employees, and I see us expanding our use of cordless tools, which reduce slips trips and falls and increases efficiency in the way we operate. I definitely see the department growing. Exciting times ahead as we transition into the future world of health and safety!
Why have you stayed at Howard Civil Engineering for 17 years?
The company has been very good to me, very loyal. I’ve always been looked after and what more can you ask for than that? The culture is right, Mick’s [Michael Howard, managing director] door is always open, and I feel like I am supported. I enjoy the common ideal of the company – it’s good ethos, and the Senior Management Team all share the same values which makes it enjoyable.
I’ve worked with Mick now for 17 years now, so I’ve seen us grow from the £1,5m, £2m turnover we had at the time to approaching probably £50m – it’s been a journey!
What advice would you give to someone considering entering the construction industry?
I’d say, prepare to work hard and prepare to put the time in. If you’re prepared to work for it, show commitment and show loyalty to the company, you’ll be rewarded for it.
Back in 2005, Chris Foote took a leap of faith and left his job as a kitchen worker to join Howard Civil Engineering as a site labourer. Now, Chris is an Estimator and is one of the company’s longest serving employees.
We sat down with Chris to learn more about how he worked his way up from a site labourer to Estimator, and why he’s stayed with the company for 17 years.
Why did you decide to join Howard Civil Engineering?
Before I worked at Howards, I was working in a kitchen in a canteen in a factory. I grew up with Tom, Pete’s [Howard, Pre-Construction Director] brother and I mentioned to him that I wasn’t happy in my current job, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Tom offered to get me a job as a labourer at Howard Civil Engineering and I haven’t looked back since.
How did you go from a site labourer to an Estimator?
I learnt a lot from more experienced colleagues during my time as a labourer, and this paired with my own experience meant I was in a good position to develop my role within the business. After about eight years, Mick [Howard, managing director] approached me with the opportunity of going back to college to do a construction management course. I did this for two nights a week over two years alongside Tom Barrett [Project Manager], and I would have been 28 or 29 at the time. After that, I became a site manager.
I learnt a lot about estimating and planning while I did my qualification, and originally my ambition was to become a construction planner but there wasn’t the capacity for one at Howards. They wanted someone with more practical experience, and they were willing to teach the financial side, so Mick invited me to give it a go. Here I am 6, 7 years later and I’ve been estimating ever since.
What is your favourite part about being an Estimator?
I’m quite an inquisitive person, and as an estimator you get to see the ins and outs of every job that’s happening around Yorkshire before it’s started being built. I like to look at the drawings of new jobs I’m interested in, such as bridges and new highways, and there’s always more information to absorb.
Estimating itself is quite repetitive as you do a lot of the same things over and over, but because no job is ever the same it never gets boring – there’s always something new. For example, on our new A183 Coast Road project we’re using dynamic compaction as part of our earthworks package which Howards have never used before. Because construction is always changing and modernising, you’re always learning new things.
I don’t feel like I’ve ever done the same thing twice, and that’s what keeps me engaged.
How has the company grown since you started?
Howards has grown steadily and organically over the past 17 years, and I like that it hasn’t seemed forced. As I developed, the company developed as well and it’s nice that the core team has remained, and the culture is still the same.
It still feels like the same company I joined 17 years ago, but it’s mad to think that some of the people here would have only been a couple of years old when I started working here!
Why have you stayed at Howard Civil Engineering for 17 years?
With my qualifications and the use of LinkedIn, you always get approached by recruiters and other businesses, but it’s never crossed my mind to leave. Howards have an environment where you want to do a good job, I’m comfortable in my environment, and I’m happy with the people I have around me – that’s definitely one of my main drivers and motivations. It’s easy to come to work every day.
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