Higgins Work Placement Programme empowers young people with essential skills development

Posted 14/10/2024
Higgins Group continues its commitment to offering young people valuable career experience through its successful Work Placement Programme, which has been running across its developments this summer. Created in collaboration with Skills Builder Partnerships, the programme aims to equip participants with essential skills whilst giving an insight into the diverse range of career opportunities available in the construction industry.
Since its launch in 2022, the programme has achieved Impact Level 4 accreditation, recognising its excellence in providing hands-on experience while allowing individuals to reflect on and improve essential skills. The programme focuses on fostering measurable progress in key areas critical for career development.
This summer seven candidates took part in the programme, showing remarkable improvements in three essential skills:
- Listening - 9.21% overall improvement
- Speaking - 7.60% overall improvement
- Teamwork - 7.09% overall improvement
Dominic Higgins, Chief Operating Officer at Higgins Group, emphasised the importance of fostering these skills for the next generation. “As an industry, we must continue to work with organisations such as Skills Builder Partnerships to showcase the diverse opportunities within construction and empower young people to build essential skills that will shape their future careers.”
He added, “We are extremely proud of the progress our participants have made. Their hard work has not only helped them grow professionally but has also led many of them to new opportunities beyond the programme.”
Participants shared their experiences:
Malavika, a Project Management Work Experience candidate and Stratford resident, spent time working on Higgins’ Newham developments. With a background in Construction Project Management, Malavika, originally from India, highlighted how the placement helped her align her practical insights with her academic studies, particularly Quantity Surveying and Project Management. “When I first joined the placement, I was determined to find an area of construction to focus on in the future. I’m happy to say that I have made up my mind through this experience.”
Maria from Islington, who completed a degree in Chemical Engineering in Brazil before relocatiing to the UK, joined the York Way Estate team. She gained first hand experience of the different aspects of construction and the importance of the resident liaison officer’s role in maintaining community relations. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Higgins. It was eye-opening to see all the different aspects of a construction site. I now hope to start an apprenticeship programme in site management and pursue my career in the industry.”
Feedback from the programme was overwhelmingly positive. All six participants stated they would choose to work for Higgins in the future and felt supported by their supervisors throughout the placement. Additionally, all candidates agreed they had developed essential skills, with four out of six strongly agreeing that the experience had ignited their desire to work in the construction industry.
Higgins remains committed to supporting the next generation, offering practical opportunities that foster personal growth and career progress in the construction industry. The Group will also be launching its latest Management Trainee Programme in November.