Housebuilding and me: Adrice Edgar, graduate at Galliford Try Partnerships

January 4, 2018 / Keith Osborne
Housebuilding and me: Adrice Edgar, graduate at Galliford Try Partnerships

We speak with 24-year-old Adrice Edgar, who started a career in construction after gaining his degree and who now works in site management for leading regeneration specialists Galliford Try Partnerships.

Hi Adrice, what path has brought you to your current role?

I studied civil engineering at Liverpool John Moores University and graduated with a 1st class MEng in May 2016. While at university, I worked with Pochin’s and later PHD1 Construction as a site engineer, gaining experience on city centre high-rise apartments whilst supporting myself through my studies.

I started at Galliford Try Partnerships in mid-June 2017. I’m currently a graduate site manager, but I’ve had the opportunity to move around the company and different business units, so my role has varied.

What made you decide on a career in construction/civil engineering?

I was interested in both the construction and consultancy sides of the industry. I love dealing with people and doing something different every day. It’s a career in which you’re always moving around, which I love. The Galliford Try Partnerships graduate programme appealed to me for these reasons.

How was your first week on the graduate programme?

My first week went very well. As soon as I arrived, I was taken under the wing by everyone in the team. They let me come along to meetings and events, which really helped in getting to know people on a professional and personal level, and which I feel is important. Although I had an engineering background, I was involved in meetings with a range of teams, such as PR and marketing agencies. It’s given me a much more holistic view of the business.

What do you like most about working at Galliford Try Partnerships?

The people. They’re all spot-on and it’s an excellent team which couldn’t be more friendly and supportive. There is a big company personality at Galliford Try Partnerships – everyone wants to see company to do well, and wants the projects to succeed. No one is there for the sake of it, they want to be part of the team.

What kind of projects/developments have you been working and what have you been involved with?

I’m working on the Chase Park scheme at Ellesmere Port which is a mixed-tenure development consisting of 141 plots – a mix of houses and apartments on the former greyhound stadium. I have been working on the site, which is part of a huge investment in the area, as an assistant site manager.

At Chase Park, my day to day activities typically include conducting site inductions, ordering materials, attending client/contractor meetings, quality control and the checking of contractors’ works to ensure that not only is everything being done correctly, but also to see if there is anything that we can do to make everyone’s job easier and more efficient.

I have also had the chance to get exposure to the sales team, and see what goes on behind the scenes in terms of marketing and customer relations, helping to ensure that customers always get the best possible experience.

Where do you see yourself and your career progressing in the future?

I’ve loved working both on- and off-site and having the chance to spend some time in different departments has opened my eyes giving me a wider view of the construction industry altogether. I feel the things I’ve learnt will help me in any capacity that Galliford Try Partnerships see me best suited at the end of my graduate program and in the future.

 

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