National Apprenticeship Week is between 5-11 February. Funding and Learning Manager Janette Welton-Pai explains why this week matters to the future of the construction industry.
Janette Welton-Pai, Funding and Learning Manager
Quite simply, our future depends on attracting and upskilling many more people. This puts National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) into sharp focus as an opportunity to showcase the industry and attract the best.
While in the past there may have been misperceptions about apprenticeships based on outdated stereotypes, this has changed. Willmott Dixon’s own approach has evolved massively, to a point where apprenticeships are integral to developing skills and supporting career mobility for our people.
To do this, we use funding from the Apprenticeship Levy to access an array of apprenticeships for our people. This pathway of learning is not only for people at the start of their careers; it is also available for people already established in their roles who want to turbo-charge their opportunities with new skills and qualifications.
A shift in how we upskill tomorrow’s leaders
We place a lot of emphasis on our management trainee programme as the foundation for a new generation of future leaders. There’s no better illustration than Graham Dundas, our new CEO, who started on the programme in 1998.
Success means adapting. In recent years, we have moved away from registering all management trainees for degree courses to now include apprenticeships. So now many trainees are registered for apprenticeships at levels 4 – 6 (equivalent to degree). This includes Construction Site Management, Quantity Surveying technician, Design and Construction Management and the Construction Site Supervisor apprenticeships.
However, as mentioned, it’s not just about people at the start of their careers. Apprenticeships are becoming important in supporting our business priorities. An example is our data apprenticeship, which is being delivered by Corndel and Imperial College Business School. In January 2024, 12 of our people started the level 3 Data driven apprenticeship programme, following the success of recent learners who completed the level 4 Data analyst apprenticeship.
This shows how apprenticeships can meet the changing skills landscape in an era of unprecedented technological innovation and change. We’re on a journey to establish a common culture to use data to its full potential, which this apprenticeship neatly serves.
Apprenticeships are allowing our people to progress their careers at different levels, and as a company that wants its people to feel challenged and able to enjoy a pathway for their own personal development, this is important.
Retaining the best people
Apprenticeships help us develop potential and retain talent. Our focus on using apprenticeships to support mid-career upskilling and mobility has seen us register people for HR support at level 3, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner at level 4 and Digital and Technology Solutions Professional at level 6.
This was recognised in November 2023, when we achieved a second Gold award from the 5% club for our ‘earn and learn’ programmes.
So with the national spotlight on apprenticeships, it’s a timely reminder of the role they play in addressing recruitment, skills and career progression. Certainly at Willmott Dixon, they are a vital way we remain an employer of choice and a key element of how we help our people enjoy what we term a ‘career of a lifetime’.
Willmott Dixon Interiors’ social value team has been recognised in this year’s Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards.
The team was honoured with an ‘Excellence in Outreach’ award for its exceptional commitment to uplifting the local community and inspiring women to consider careers in construction.
We are one of only four organisations to be recognised at the prestigious industry awards – jointly hosted by Construction News and New Civil Engineer – which champion the role of women in construction and engineering.
Consisting entirely of women, our remarkable social value team serve as daily beacons of encouragement, motivating the next generation to enter the construction sector and offering positive role models for those they empower.
Investing in the community is at the heart of our business
Building Lives is one of the key themes of Willmott Dixon Interiors’ Now or Never strategy, which has ambitious targets to achieve within the next seven years.
Every project we deliver features a social value plan, ensuring that we not only fulfil customer requirements but also bring significant benefits to surrounding communities.
Our social value team plays an active role in the communities where we operate by donating the time, skills, and expertise of our people. This is accomplished through initiatives such as outreach programmes that encourage women to pursue careers in construction, and help build their confidence in preparation for doing so.
We are incredibly proud of Building Lives. The effort our people put into upskilling and improving the knowledge of young people is outstanding. Our social value team plays a central role in this endeavour, and we are delighted to see its outstanding contributions acknowledged in this remarkable achievement.
How our award-winning social value team adapts to inspire women into construction
Our social value team recently worked with 40 inmates to deliver a programme focusing on women in construction at HMP New Hall, a women’s prison.
Determined to alter the perception that construction is exclusively a male domain, our social value team partnered with inmates to showcase the diverse career opportunities within the construction field, emphasise transferable skills, and promote the industry’s open embrace of women.
Participants told us that the session enhanced their interview, collaboration, and teamwork abilities, while also providing valuable insights into the construction industry. The women expressed their gratitude to our team for dedicating their time and expertise, and all the key objectives and expectations were successfully achieved.
In another instance, our social value team was presented with the challenge of organising two weeks of work experience for female fashion students. Acknowledging the stark contrast between the fashion and construction industries, our social value team was tasked with creating a placement that would be captivating, motivating, and advantageous for participants.
Every single student affirmed that their confidence and skills had seen a positive boost through the session. Additionally, every participant expressed a strong inclination toward considering a career in the construction industry.
In addition to these notable instances of inspiring women to explore careers in construction, our social value team routinely hosts school assemblies and participates in career fairs to motivate young individuals to contemplate a career in the construction industry.
Through our social value initiatives, we engaged with over 14,500 individuals last year.
Willmott Dixon Interiors has a proud record of investing in work experience programmes and enabling better careers for young people.
The benefits of doing so are numerous. Work experience programmes:
- Identify talent and support workforce diversity
- Deliver staff development opportunities
- Help sustain a highly engaged team
Above all, we believe that giving young people a positive experience in construction is simply the right thing to do, forming part of a high-impact social value proposition that supports our local communities.
In 2020, we launched our new sustainability strategy, Now or Never, Our decisive decade with a series of ambitious targets to achieve by 2030.
Building Lives is a key theme of the strategy. It acknowledges the enormous challenge of building a fairer society for all, and shapes our approach to CSR, social value and community.
We know that income inequality remains high and people’s life chances vary greatly. The enormity of those issues cannot be resolved by a single organisation, but our belief is that the wider construction sector has a significant role to play.
It’s why we work in close collaboration with customers, supply chain partners and community organisations to fully understand what’s needed, and how we can deliver real, long-term impact.
Building a career in construction
We’ve delivered placements to 135 young people in London and the West Midlands since the start of the year (January – August 2023) – that’s equivalent to c.82 weeks of work experience.
Partnering with ten separate schools and colleges, we’ve created opportunities across a whole range of functions to enable young people aged 13-22 years to gain an insight into, and a first hand experience of, life in the construction industry.
We have invited people into our site management, surveying and sustainability teams, opened the doors to our social value and preconstruction departments, as well as hosting opportunities in marketing and design.
Work experience programmes have challenged young people in several ways, not least in their perceptions of what roles are available in the sector – think interior fit out programmes, fashion-based placements and animation.
Our placements are by no means desk-based either. We know young people gain huge value from experiencing live construction sites, which is why we’ve hosted visits to projects such as Soho Theatre Walthamstow.
Structured, activity-led work experience programmes
The activities undertaken by young people on our work experience programmes are wide and varied.
We have devised four specific programme types which are designed to develop new skills, stretch minds and deliver experiences that young people may not have been exposed to before.
We have asked young people to:
- Design and present their own school, including formulating business ideas for their own construction company to build it.
- Create a sustainable village with innovative ideas on how to implement sustainable methods in all stages of construction (i.e. planning, building and aftermath).
- Design sustainable PPE for site workers.
- Use a randomised brief to create a design project on a digital platform.
A rewarding experience of work
Our programmes are shaped by the feedback we receive from students and teachers alike.
They have given us invaluable insight into what they most enjoyed during their time with us, what they’ve learnt about themselves and what else they’d like to experience.
- 135 young people have been on a Willmott Dixon Interiors work experience programme in London or the West Midlands since January 2023.
- 88% of participants said they would recommend our work experience programmes to a friend.
- Programmes have been delivered in partnership with ten different schools and colleges.
We typically receive positive feedback around soft skills development, especially in areas such as teamwork, communication, confidence and leadership.
But there are other new skills frequently cited by our work experience alumni that aren’t always taught in class: how to develop a professional network, working to people’s strengths and the importance of time management and organisation.
Building a career in construction
We’re proud that our work experience programmes provide an overwhelmingly positive experience for the majority of young people who spend time with us.
For Modassir Zaman, the experience was simply life-changing. He graduated with a construction management degree in 2020 before experiencing mental ill health that led to being sectioned to a mental health hospital for four months.
Out of work and worried he wouldn’t be able to find a way into the sector, Modassir applied for a two-week work experience placement with Willmott Dixon Interiors – it led to a full-time job as part of a site team at St. Michael’s Hospital, Warwick.
“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity Willmott Dixon Interiors has provided,” he said. “It’s ironic how I was once a patient sectioned in a mental health hospital and now I am part of an amazing site team who are helping the NHS to improve these facilities.”
“It was an incredible experience that allowed me to explore my creativity and passion for sustainability. I learned so much from the programme and gained valuable skills and knowledge in sustainable design.”
Student at SATRO, an educational charity working across south central England
“I enjoyed hearing from other people about their education and work experience, and I think it helped a lot with some insecurities I had.”
Student at Oasis Academy South Bank
“All too often employers we work with see barriers and difficulties when opening up their doors to young people with learning disabilities, but Willmott Dixon Interiors see solutions!”
Lisa Quinn, coordinator at Business Education Events
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with you and I am so grateful that so many students have been given the opportunity to have experience of the workplace at Willmott Dixon Interiors.”
Sara Swanton, careers manager at Weald of Kent Grammar School
Every year, our first-year Management Trainees embark on an informative 2-week Trade Awareness residential course in Bircham Newton.
This unique experience provides an interactive and hands-on opportunity to delve into various trades and acquire new skills within the Built Environment. The course offers an immersive learning environment and the chance to catch up with Management Trainees from different parts of the business. At the end of each week, our trainees are assessed, and awards are presented to acknowledge their achievements.
The Trade Awareness course offers a holistic learning experience, where trainees get to explore diverse aspects of construction, including Brickwork, Steel Fixing, Formwork, and Concreting, etc. The sessions are designed to combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience, enabling participants to gain real-world understanding of the challenges faced by the supply chain while working in these trades.
We caught up with Finn Collins, one of our Commercial Management Trainees in the Midlands, to gain an insight into his experience:
What was your favourite session and why?
“My favourite session throughout the two weeks was the Formwork and Concreting day, although doing the SFS and Fire stopping was also an enjoyable experience, which I took away a lot of knowledge from. Both of these sessions featured a lot of practical work which allowed me to better experience and understand the processes in place as well as the challenges which the supply chain might face when working.”
What skills did you learn and any key takeaways you can share with us?
“One of the main takeaways I had from the course was regarding the challenges that Supply Chain Partners might face on site. Working on each of the trades provided different challenges and required different solutions and skill sets to rectify. Getting the opportunity to partake in them certainly helped me to gain a better understanding of the processes as well as the standards which would need to be met. It was beneficial to work with new people across different tasks; as is usually the case, everyone had different strengths and skillsets and it was worthwhile to be figuring out how to assign tasks and get the most out of the different members of the team. Delegating different roles allowed individuals to better represent themselves and what they were good at, so I think that really helped to provide a more memorable learning experience.”
What was the most challenging thing for you during the course and why?
“The most challenging part of the course was probably the socialising aspect at the beginning; personally I find it to be a challenge to meet new people and settle into new groups. With everyone attending for the same reasons it was easy to find common ground and move past this and I hope to think I left the event with some new friends.”
What advice do you have for future trainees undertaking the Trade Awareness course?
“My advice for the trade awareness event would be to listen to the instructors and try to take notes during the presentations they give; there is a lot of information to be taking in and in order to get the most from the sessions. It’s good to have something to relate back to, especially for when it’s time to do the presentations at the end of the fortnight.”
What was the best aspect of the course?
“Aside from the learning sessions, I enjoyed being able to spend time with my colleagues in the evenings, getting to know people better outside of the working environment during the day times.”
We are proud to be able to support and help develop those aspiring to have a career in the construction industry through our social value programmes which focus on our ‘Building Lives’ theme.
Modassir Zaman initially joined us for a work placement on our project at St Michael’s hospital in Warwick and due to his determination and enthusiasm within the role, he has now gone on to achieve a full-time role working with Willmott Dixon Interiors through an agency.
We hear from Modassir about his mental health challenges that he faced, and how he has overcome them to build a career within construction.
Modassir Zaman.
“My Name is Modassir Zaman and I am 25 years old.
I successfully graduated with a construction management degree in 2020. However unfortunately my mental health rapidly deteriorated in October 2021. Due to the extent of my mental health and current condition at that time, I was sectioned to a mental health hospital for 4 months. I was then released back home in January 2022 after they had diagnosed me with paranoia schizophrenia. After 9 months, I felt like my mental health had improved, and so I felt like it was time for me to get back into work and into a routine. I was still extremely nervous and worried about how I would transition back into a job due to my lack of confidence.
As I had graduated with a construction management degree, I wanted to continue with my passion and look for a job within the construction industry. Through a mutual connection, I was lucky to meet with Nabeel Javed, Construction Manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors. I applied for a two week work experience placement at Willmott Dixon Interiors, which I was successful in landing. This placement has now led onto a full time job working with Willmott Dixon Interiors through an agency for 7 months.
I am extremely thankful for the opportunity Willmott Dixon Interiors has provided. The site team are like a family and have really assisted me in settling back into work. I cannot thank Nabeel Javed enough for taking me under his wing and actually really changing my life around. He has helped not just enhance my construction knowledge and skills but also improve my mental health. He has also boosted my confidence and helped build my people skills.
Willmott Dixon Interiors have been great to work with and it’s so evident they put their people first. If Nabeel had not believed in me and helped me through this journey there’s a chance my mental health could have deteriorated further. It’s ironic how I was once a patient sectioned in a mental health hospital and now I am part of an amazing site team whom are helping the NHS trust improve these facilities.
As an ex-patient I totally appreciate and understand the importance of improving mental health facilities and I hope to continue a successful career with Willmott Dixon Interiors.”
We want to thank Modassir for sharing his inspiring and courageous story which might help others to overcome the challenges they face and spur them on to pursue their passions.
Nabeel Javed, Construction Manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors says “Modassir has been a fantastic asset to the site team and I had seen potential in him from the very first day he walked onto site. He has great drive and enthusiasm, you can tell he really has a passion for construction. His story is truly inspirational, and it goes to show anything is possible.”
Nabeel Javed and Modassir Zaman on site at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
Find out more about the work we are doing at St Michael’s hospital in Warwick here.
Initiative designed to attract new talent into construction industry.
Willmott Dixon is opening 29 of its construction sites across the UK between 13th-18th of March, including 2 projects from Willmott Dixon Interiors, as part of an industry-wide initiative by Build UK designed to introduce tens of thousands of people to the possibilities of a career in construction.
With an estimated 266,000 new construction employees required by 2026 (according to CITB), Open Doors’ participating sites aim to highlight the range of different roles available in construction. Among the 29 live sites, Willmott Dixon has included transport interchanges, police stations, city-centre housing schemes, schools, sites with a strong sustainability focus and even a BIM virtual-reality design centre.
The initiative is intended to target a wide range of current and future job seekers, including school and college leavers, university graduates, career changers, ex-armed forces, prison leavers and the currently unemployed. The Open Doors initiative works through a network of approved developers, as well as through high school careers officers, Jobcentre Plus, Local Enterprise Partnerships and local councils.
Willmott Dixon has been a longstanding partner of the initiative – and has previously had visitors to Open Doors sites go on to work for the company.
Willmott Dixon Interiors are hosting Open Doors at Inventa in Oxford and 5 St Philips in Birmingham.
In Oxford, we are currently delivering Inventa which is a Cat B refurbishment and extension of the existing buildings which will create employment space comprising laboratories, offices and collaborative working areas. Click here to book your space.
In Birmingham, we are opening our doors to 5 St Philips Place, which is a Cat A sustainable fit-out of a seven-storey commercial office building in Birmingham’s Colmore business district. Book your space here
Last year, Willmott Dixon was declared the UK’s ‘best big company to work for’ at the Best Companies awards, with chief executive Rick Willmott recognised as ‘best leader’ in a special Best Companies award.
John Waterman, Chief Operating Officer at Willmott Dixon, said:
“We want to bring construction to a whole new generation of people to show what a fantastic career you can have that makes a real difference to so many people’s lives. These projects are a fantastic example of this in showing our role in creating the fabric that provides places for people to live and thrive. We hope that people who visit our sites gain a real interest for a career in construction as well as getting a look at a development reshaping their area.”
The construction industry is experiencing a skills shortage and the implications of this are forecasted to continue for some time. That’s why Willmott Dixon is using Open Doors to highlight the range of roles available across the sector – from building management, project management, surveying and estimating to jobs not traditionally site-based such design, bidding, marketing and sales, and digital.
Open Doors runs from 13-18th of March. To find out more and book a visit to a participating site, head to the official Open Doors website here.
Earlier this year, we combined the collective strength of our Construction and Interiors businesses to deliver a joint social value initiative designed to tackle youth unemployment in the Midlands.
Once again, we worked with JTL, one of the largest work-based learning providers in England and Wales to run a 10 week traineeship programme to help kickstart a career in construction for eleven local NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) teenagers aged between 16 and 18 years old.
The first six weeks of the programme focussed on employability, with workshops which included:
- Routes into construction
- CV writing
- Interview tips and mock interviews
- Health & Safety
- Using number and communication in construction
- Future goals and plans
- Positive attitude in the work place
The group also worked towards their Health and Safety Level 1 certificate while earning their CSCS cards.
The final four weeks were then site based work experience at our Willmott Dixon Interiors site, 10 Brindleyplace in central Birmingham and at Willmott Dixon Construction’s Phoenix Arts Centre project in Leicester.
The programme was a great success, with one of the students securing a placement with one of our supply chain partners.
Joshua Yardley, one of the traineeship students said:
“I would recommend this activity to a friend because it allows you to gain vital site experience as well as meeting various different companies and trades, where you can start to get links which will definitely benefit you.”
Jayne Anderson, Social Value Manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors in the Midlands said:
“This is a great cohort of learners who are keen to gain their CSCS qualification and take part in their four weeks of work experience to gain that on site practical knowledge.”
We would also like to thank our supply chain partners, Elmsmere Interiors Systems Ltd, SBS Carpentry and RE Martin Painting & Decorating who also helped in delivering this fantastic programme.
We look forward to expanding our programme to welcome more students in the future.
As part of Willmott Dixon’s commitment to supporting young people into careers within the construction industry, we joined the government-backed Kickstart Scheme in 2021, which aims to create new jobs for 16-24 year olds at risk of unemployment.
The Kickstart Scheme provides 6-month placements for young people providing an insight into the industry and the wide variety of jobs that are on offer. In 2022, 9 people joined Willmott Dixon Interiors through the Kickstart Scheme across the business in London, Leeds and in the Midlands.
Joshua Bell, Kickstarter at Wolves Civic Halls, Wolverhampton
Joshua Bell, joined us in February 2022 as a Project Administrator and is currently working on our Wolves Civic Hall site in Wolverhampton. Joshua was new to construction, but was interested by the different roles and opportunities that the industry could offer.
“I think what interests me most about the industry is the many different avenues and opportunities that construction can offer me. I am also interested in the many different job roles that I can work towards and that no two days are the same. As someone who has entered the industry with no previous knowledge, I am intrigued to learn about the many components which help make a project successful and, in the process, potentially find an area that most interests me.”
Through Joshua’s placement he has been able to experience a number of different roles and gain valuable insight, developing his skills both as a person and as an employee. The placement has also allowed him to build up more confidence and meet new people within the workplace.
“I have started developing key skills since joining Willmott Dixon Interiors. I have learned how vital communication can be in this industry, and have developed my communication skills week by week. Another fundamental skill I have developed is team working. Working with and as part of a team in construction is crucial to the success of a project and since joining the team, it has helped me work with people better and more effectively. My experience so far with Willmott Dixon Interiors has definitely helped me both understand and recognise the many different roles available to me in this industry and will continue to learn and hopefully I will find a particular area I would like to pursue the most.”
Elliot Woodhead, part of the Kickstart scheme and based at Leeds Bus Station.
Elliot joined our team at Leeds Bus Station in January 2022. His placement has allowed him to build up his knowledge of the construction industry and through the work he has been doing, he has developed a keen interest in learning about the design stage of the projects that we do.
The Kickstart Programme has provided him with an opportunity to meet new people, develop new skills and build up a new understanding of the roles and responsibilities available which has helped start to shape his future.
“Through my placement at Willmott Dixon Interiors, I have been able to develop my organisational and administrative skills which is something I wanted to pursue. I’m surrounded by good, hardworking people that motivate me to be like them some day.”
Matthew Jarvis, Kickstarter at EMD Cinema
Matt has been working as a Kickstarter on our EMD Cinema project in Walthamstow as an Assistant Project Administrator. Throughout the scheme so far, he has developed new skills, learnt more about the construction industry and the journey of a project.
“I have started developing many different skills now as I have settled into the job role. These skills include working in a large team, using different software connected to Willmott Dixon like Msite, MI projects etc. also having the responsibility of invoice approval and handling the orders for the site’s needs. Willmott Dixon Interiors has helped me with my career as I have learnt how to work in a team of many people with different roles which is very significant in any type of job.”
Matt has enjoyed being a part of a team, learning new skills and seeing what it is like to work in the construction industry.
We want to thank all the people who have joined us at Willmott Dixon Interiors through the Kickstart Scheme. Their hard work and enthusiasm inspires us to share our knowledge and passion with the younger generation helping them to succeed in good sustainable careers.
As part of our 2030 sustainability strategy, Now or Never we are committed to supporting 500,000 people with their careers, which includes providing programmes of activity to at least 100,000 people, supporting at least 1,000 people into sustainable careers and recruiting at least 100 people facing barriers into careers at Willmott Dixon.
Find out more about our Now Or Never strategy here.
For more information on how to apply to this scheme, head to the Department for Work and Pensions job board.