Billy, a student from our Bridgeway School, is today looking towards a future full of promise and potential, and already making successful steps into his chosen career. However, through his own admittance, he felt angry and required a lot of support when he first joined Bridgeway School. “When I first came, I was in need of help, and Bridgeway has supported me in whatever way I needed”. With this support and encouragement, Billy soon began engaging with learning and developed skills to settle into the school community. His path to success had been found, but no one quite realised just how big some of the next steps would be.
From classroom to construction site
Billy had expressed a strong desire to step into a career in construction and wanted to sample as many of the options within the sector as possible. Through our Futures programme, he was introduced to one of our employer partners, Caddick Construction, who were already working with the school to offer students careers support and employment experiences. Our relationship with both Billy and the team at Caddick meant we knew that they would be a really good fit for each other.
Through conversations with Billy, the school and Caddick, it was decided that a bespoke experiential learning programme would be offered. This was to be his introduction to the world of construction and an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in the sector. Everyone was excited to see how things would progress and how Billy would develop
Once a week, over a six-week period, Billy donned his hi-vis jacket, hard hat and boots ready for his day with Caddick Construction site manager, Mark. Here, he had the opportunity to get involved in construction activities, making his mark on a 575,000 square foot project. Billy worked side-by-side with skilled professionals and even got to practise his own skills in areas such as bricklaying and site management. This hands-on approach allowed Billy to get up close and personal with different aspects of construction, while also getting insight into how projects are managed. He loved every minute.
Confidence built brick by brick
For anyone looking from the outside in, you could easily mistake Billy for being a full-time member of the team. Week by week he was becoming very much at ease with his new surroundings, constantly learning and experiencing, and with Mark by his side, all of his questions were answered and every step encouraged and supported, with plenty of jokes and humour along the way. Billy wasn’t just learning the tricks of the trade, he was becoming part of the Caddick Construction team.
Billy’s experience introduced him to different roles and opened his eyes to the opportunities that are available. We often hear of companies wanting to give back but this experience, where the staff team gave up their time while managing the demands of a construction site, truly went to another level.
Interacting with the team and being made to feel so warmly welcomed had been nothing short of inspirational for Billy. Everyone, both at school and onsite, had witnessed him grow in confidence and really mature along the way. He wasn’t the shy young man he was when he started the experience and the relationships he had made, especially with Mark, were truly amazing to see.
What's next?
Well, he is planning to go to college to build on his experience and further develop his skills across a range of construction disciplines. Caddick have also said that when the time is right for Billy, apprenticeship opportunities are waiting for him so he now has a path to his chosen career well in place.
Billy and Mark, well, that story isn’t over either; Mark returned to Bridgeway to congratulate Billy and has now accepted a role as his Futures mentor, meaning they will regularly keep in touch through mentoring sessions, focused on helping Billy take successful steps forward.
The sense of pride and achievement shared by everyone involved in Billy’s Futures journey is immense and everyone is eager to watch as Billy continues to build his future, one step at a time.