Keith Osborne

Olivia Canniffe,of Bewley Homes

A year in the life of Bewley Homes apprentice, Olivia Canniffe

Career Advice & News, News /

It’s a year since 18-year-old Olivia Canniffe became a trainee technical co-ordinator at developer Bewley Homes.  Having made the bold and brave decision to break away from ‘the norm’ and pursue an apprenticeship rather than follow the path to university, Olivia says it was a logical first step for her on the career ladder. Living a two-hour commute away meant it wasn’t going to be the easiest of journeys but 12 months on and Olivia says she hasn’t looked back. “My aim was always to do something which would give me an architecture-based career,” she says.  “I am good at maths and I love design – that’s what I find exciting and where I have a natural flair but the pressure of […]

A year in the life of Bewley Homes apprentice, Olivia Canniffe Read More »

Henry Fordham Bellis Homes

Career view: Henry Fordham, director of Bellis Homes

Career Advice & News, News /

Looking after SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) has been cited as one of the ways our country can tackle its national shortage of new homes. Here, we speak to Henry Fordham about the boutique housebuilding company his father founded a few years ago, Bellis Homes, and his love of the industry. Please tell us who you are and a bit about your current role? I am Henry Fordham. I graduated in politics and economics at Oxford Brookes. I jointly set up Bellis Homes, which took over the main residential vehicle for the St James Business Group. Since the company started in 2013, we have had over £90m of property being built and for sale. The group focuses on residential property, including individual houses in prestigious locations

Career view: Henry Fordham, director of Bellis Homes Read More »

Leeds school children bricklaying

Students gain some on-site experience in Leeds

Career Advice & News, Careers, News /

Design and technology students from Cockburn School, Beeston recently got some valuable on-site work experience at a new affordable homes scheme in Leeds, thanks to partners Leeds Federated Housing Association, Lovell and CHY Consultancy. The Year 9 pupils, aged 13 and 14, were taken on a supervised tour of the new 33-unit development in Newhall Gate and Walk, Belle Isle, showing them elements of the housebuilding process and giving them a chance to talk to members of the site team, as well as some practical experience at bricklaying. This autumn, the developers will visit the school to talk to pupils there about the UK’s need for new homes. Leeds Federated’s head of development, Steve Ellis, remarks: “The site visit provided an opportunity

Students gain some on-site experience in Leeds Read More »

Marion Whitty and Victoria Kidd

Countryside talks careers and job opportunities

Career Advice & News, News /

Marion Whitty, head of learning and development at Countryside and Victoria Kidd, group recruitment business partner, comment on careers at this prestigious and multi-award-winning national housebuilder, originally founded in Essex nearly 60 years ago. What is the spectrum of jobs that Countryside looks to fill on a regular basis? We recruit for a huge range of positions, across the entire spectrum of our business, most commonly in construction, surveying, technical, development and sales on the production side, through to our central services functions such as finance, HR, IT, legal, and health and safety. We also focus a large amount of our recruitment on our early careers roles, including graduates, interns and apprentices. What kind of qualifications and qualities do you look for in any

Countryside talks careers and job opportunities Read More »

Young woman construction apprentice

ISG commits to improve apprenticeships for women

Career Advice & News, News /

ISG, the global construction services company, has today announced it has signed the Young Women’s Trust pledge, aimed at improving apprenticeship opportunities for young women and encouraging them to take roles in traditionally male-dominated areas. Research by the Young Women’s Trust has shown that female apprentices earn, on average, 21% less than their male peers, and that they also receive less training, are represented in a narrower range of sectors, and are more likely to be out of employment once they finish their apprenticeship. The research also found that currently, around 56 men start a construction apprenticeship for every woman, a figure the organisation says hasn’t changed in more than a decade. Dr Carole Easton, chief executive of the Young Women’s Trust, says:

ISG commits to improve apprenticeships for women Read More »