Building schools of the future
Start making an impact - Construction Engineering Management alumna, Kelly Attwood, shares how her degree from Loughborough has allowed her to secure a prestigious graduate role.
Studying Construction at Loughborough University can pave the way to a range of careers within the built environment. The placement route available opens doors within the industry, allowing our students to secure prestigious graduate roles. That is exactly what our alumna, Kelly Attwood, did when she secured a role at Morgan Sindall after a successful placement year.
I secured a placement year with Morgan Sindall through the undergraduate sponsorship scheme that they offered as part of the construction consortium. I actually met Morgan Sindall representatives at my initial interview for the course at Loughborough as they were part of the interview panel, and I fell in love with their ethos and decided to pursue them as a sponsor from there.
The experience
Having studied in an integrated School that encompasses all built environment professions, Kelly managed to secure a variety of projects throughout her placement year and graduate role.
The Construction Engineering Management course helped me gain an overview of all built environment professions, as well as the technical knowledge and understanding of physical components involved in construction. Understanding various job roles in the industry is essential to progress in the construction sector. With an understanding and recognition of what others do and the challenges they face, you can minimise risks and improve efficiencies within your projects.
The project
After graduating in 2018, she progressed rapidly within Morgan Sindall and has been given increased responsibilities, recently leading a £10m design-and-build of a three-storey modular teaching block for Vandyke Upper School as the Sole Site Manager.
Working on this project has been incredible as it meant a lot to the school. It was privately funded by the academy, which made it even more important to them. The new block allowed them to expand the school, relocate and extend their sixth form facilities. The block housed new science labs, classrooms, as well as an IT suite and a social study area with its own café. This space is integral for their sixth form students, providing them with the best facilities and learning spaces.
Completing the project gave me a massive sense of achievement. It is the first project I have managed from start to finish and we had to overcome many challenges, which felt extremely rewarding for my entire team.
A bright future
Kelly continues to make a difference in students’ lives, with one of her latest projects involving a secondary school for the Buckinghamshire County Council.
I have been lucky enough to work on a variety of projects, from internal refurbishments, demolition, and a highways depot, to schools that have been both traditionally built as well as modular.
I am now working on a larger scheme for Buckinghamshire County Council, which is a brand-new school. The scheme involves a steel frame, pre-cast planks and Structural Insulated Panels, expanding my experience on the wide variety of building elements. Every project has an impact on me and my progression, and ultimately has a lasting impact on the client and the overall community.
The award
Kelly’s achievements have been recognised as the recipient of the Construction Manager of the Year Awards 2020 Rising Star award. The awards were hosted by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), one of the accrediting bodies of our construction courses.
The award has gained me a lot of recognition and opened a lot of opportunities for me outside of my normal working life. Notably, I am now involved with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the NOVUS Northampton Hub, which I hope will continue throughout my career.
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