Last week, we kicked off our Careers in Construction Month campaign by answering a simple question: why us? We strongly recommend giving it a read for a breakdown of who we are, and why you should consider working for us – you can find the blog here.
This week, we want to explore this further; both for apprentices, and our other roles across the company. To do this, we spoke to our Recruitment Manager Ewan Mason – who works with all new starters that join HCE – and pitched him a single question: what are the benefits of a career at Howard Civil Engineering?
From an apprentice perspective, a career in construction is a popular path to take. The Careers & Enterprise Company highlighted that, in a 2024 survey of 100,000 young people, construction took a top five spot in terms of career choice. But what can you expect from an apprenticeship with us? Here’s what Ewan had to say…
- Qualified Mentors: For aspiring engineers, our ICE qualified staff enable faster learning and a direct line of contact if needed.
- A Bespoke Learning Experience: We offer a structured learning journey from start to finish, encompassing your entire apprenticeship and/or education.
- The Wage You Deserve: Our pay reflects responsibility, which means you can expect to be fairly compensated every step of the way.
- Proven Progression: HCE is home to countless examples of staff who have progressed massively since they began, like Dominic Bourke; previously an Apprentice Engineer, he now works in a high-level managerial position. There’s also Steve Dakin, whose career journey you can read about here.
- Access To Autonomy: Those who work hard, show dedication, and pick things up quickly are recognised at HCE, and as a result are given the ability to prove themselves further with increased autonomy.
- Chartership Opportunities: For Quantity Surveyors and Engineers who display proven experience, we offer chartership opportunities to elevate their careers even further.
These are just a few of the many excellent reasons an apprenticeship at HCE could take you further than you had thought was possible. In addition to all of this, you’ll receive other wider benefits such as service awards, exposure to a wide range of work (housing, commercial, infrastructure, etc), company vehicles, cross progression (meaning you’re never tied down to your current path, and can expand into other areas of this industry and our business should you so choose), as well as the opportunity to work alongside other likeminded individuals that truly understand your role.
As always, keep an eye on our website’s careers page here for the latest opportunities we have on offer.
We previously began our Careers in Construction Month campaign with two key questions: who are we, and why should you consider working with us? We highlighted our multi-disciplined skillset, the more than two decades of experience we have in the industry, as well as how our team members are constantly developing in their chosen career paths. Below, we’d like to expand on this a bit more – here are the three core reasons we believe we stand out from other employers…
We Are Committed To You And Your Progression
We are believers in maximising our team’s potential, and have countless success stories to back this up. We recently highlighted Steve Dakin, who, over the last decade and a half, has moved up from a site labourer to a Contracts Manager, and is now a key pillar of our companies management. Helping make success stories like this a reality are revolutionary tools like My Training Passport, which help us ensure you are always up-to-date on your career progression, and never left behind or in doubt.
We Blend Technical Expertise With A Proven Track Record
For over two decades we have worked diligently and efficiently to ensure every project we complete is done to the highest standard, and none of this would have been possible without our exceptional site teams. From huge, eight-figure-value projects like Arla Mega Dairy, to highly complex roadworks like the more recent Greengates Junction improvement scheme, we are immensely proud of our history, and firmly believe that the wide range of challenging work we undertake provides excellent opportunities for learning, growth, and developing your skillsets.
We Employ Innovative Solutions and Sustainable Practices
Working with us means you get to experience the latest and greatest that this industry has to offer. We consider ourselves at the forefront of construction technology, utilising state-of-the-art plant, putting sustainability first, and constantly innovating on our health and safety practices to ensure your wellbeing is always prioritised.
If all of this sounds good to you, keep an eye on our website’s careers page as we continue to update it with the latest opportunities we have available.
Have a read of our Summer 2024 newsletter, featuring…
✈ More Updates On LBA
🙌 Steve Dakin Celebrates 14 Years at HCE
🌐 Our Brand New Website Is Here
🏫 Discussing Woldgate School & Sixth Form College
🌍 How We’re Celebrating World Environment Day
…And More!
September 10th officially marks World Suicide Prevention day. While this should always been an open topic of discussion, having a dedicated day where we can band together and truly acknowledge it is crucial.
As a construction business, we feel especially obligated to recognise the drastically higher rates of suicide among our industry. The Office for National Statistics reports that workers in construction are four times more likely to take their own lives, and as such we place a much larger responsibility on ourselves to ensure we promote mental health awareness.
This Wednesday (11th) at 10am, members of the Andy’s Man Club will be paying a visit to our head office in Leeds to deliver a presentation; they’ll discuss in more detail the work they do, how they can help, as well as more generally promote an environment where people can be open about their struggles. Despite their name, this talk open to all members of our team, and we encourage any and all of our staff to attend if they can.
We also have our own Mental Health First Aider team members: staff who are equipped with the necessary training to provide that initial support, and point you in the right direction – all with the guarantee of complete confidentiality.
Finally, we would be remiss to not mention the Lighthouse Construction Charity: a group dedicated to providing support to members of this industry. To get in touch with their helpline, simply call 0345 605 1956, or text HARDHAT to 85258.
We’ve talked a lot about our commitment to equal opportunity employment, and the ways in which we go about this. One such method is through the ROTL – Release On Temporary License – programme.
Last year, we spoke to Kiel Tetley, who joined us through said programme before HCE offered him a full-time position following his release from prison. Kiel spoke highly of his experience; how it improved his mental health and confidence, upskilled him, and allowed him to enjoy family life. He recommended others to “jump at the chance” should they be given the opportunity to participate in the programme, which we couldn’t be happier to hear.
Since then, we have been pleased to welcome more of those involved in the ROTL programme into our business to work alongside us. One such example is Adam Wilson, who joined through HMP Hatfield as a Site Manager, and went on to thrive in his role. Our Sustainability Manager Sophie Henderson recently spoke to Adam to gauge his thoughts on his time with us, as well as how he feels about the ROTL programme as a whole…
Adam has been at HCE for six weeks now. When asked about his experience so far, he noted the friendly, helpful and accommodating nature of our workforce, which has reinforced his desire to relocate and stay with us following his release from prison later this year.
Speaking about the ROTL programme, and how it benefited him personally, he highlighted the opportunity it provided him to re-enter our industry, save money, in addition to more generally getting him back into the swing of things and progressing.
Similarly to Kiel, we asked Adam if he would recommend the ROTL programme to others. “Definitely,” he told us, “it gives you the chance to feel like a normal person, and the potential to go back to what you were doing prior, or a learn a completely new skill”. Adam also mentioned the comfort of being able to leave prison with a job secured, and the stability that provides.
Finally, Adam was asked where he sees himself in the future. To that, he stated his desire to become a Contracts or Project Manager, staying with HCE long term. He mentioned that the most important thing to him was feeling as though he was at the right company, and for him, that was us.
Outside of his ROTL work, Adam volunteers by attending schools, where he educates children about prison, and being the best version of yourself. It’s clear to us that he is dedicated, passionate, and a valuable asset to our workforce, and we look forward to seeing where his career takes him. A huge thank you to Adam for speaking with us, and we extend our best wishes as he continues to progress in our field.
Speaking on the value of the ROTL programme, HCE Contracts Manager Steve Dakin had this to say: “The ROTL scheme has quickly become an invaluable resource avenue for us. Adam joins us with a wealth of experience, and has quickly become an integral part of the team.
We are pleased to have worked with 6 operatives through ROTL so far – all of which have demonstrated an excellent work ethic and a real determination to learn and improve their skills. As a result, we have been able to offer full-time employment and further training to operatives on their release, with more planned for the very near future.”
July 15th marks the UN’s World Youth Skills Day. It’s crucial that we recognise the importance of handing down the skills we often take for granted to the next generation, as it’s ultimately them who will guide us forward into the future.
This year’s theme is “Youth Skills for Peace & Development”, which highlights the need to equip our youth with the necessary skills for fostering a more inclusive and sustainable future. To us, this begs an immediate question: what are we doing to help?
When it comes to nurturing a supportive and inclusive workplace, we’ve made strides to ensure this is consistently the case. Our Disability Confident Committed (DCC) employer status highlights our commitment to creating an accessible recruitment process and supportive work environment no matter what.
We also make it no secret that supporting apprentices and graduates is of paramount importance to us. Since our founding over twenty years ago, we have taken in dozens of them, and provided experience both on and off-site to give them the knowledge they need to thrive in our industry. Many apprentices and graduates who spend time working with our business go on to find successful careers here at Howards, and we’re proud to staff a workforce where many of them take lead roles on our various schemes across the country.
We also take great measures to ensure the work we perform is done as sustainably as possible, and have continually adopted this as a guiding principle behind everything we do. Promoting these practices now means a cleaner, more environmentally friendly future for those who come after us, and sets an example that we are confident the next generation will take on themselves to create a better planet for everyone.
TRUST US TO DELIVER YOUR PROJECT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET