Enriching learning at Winvic Construction

The Winvic Enrichment Programme gives T Level and BTEC students hands-on experience on live construction sites.

To date, the contractor has successfully completed two rounds of the programme with Northampton College, one with Walsall College, and a work experience programme with South and City College Birmingham.

Winvic talent development manager Kayleigh Merritt explains that the idea is to give students “a real insight” into construction careers. “There are more opportunities in the industry than people think there are,” she adds.

Winvic specialises in the design, build and fit-out of industrial, multi-room and commercial projects, along with the delivery of large-scale civils and infrastructure schemes. 

The five-day enrichment programme taps into this range of projects, giving students practical experience related to their studies and developing their soft skills.

The programme also helps Winvic, suppliers and clients to meet strategic social value goals and supports further education establishments to meet their enrichment activity targets.

During the programme, a range of sessions throughout each day showcase different industry roles.

Sessions include civil and digital engineering, earthworks, planning, quantity surveying, mental health and fairness, inclusion and respect.

In addition, employability skills are provided, including CV writing and mock interviews. Students are also given activities to complete, along with site tours and demonstrations of various construction processes.

Sessions in the programme have been designed to highlight several elements of a construction project, but they can also be tailored to meet the needs of each cohort and their course subject.

In developing the programme, the company found that staff, apprentices and supply chain partners were keen to get involved. Staff are also supported in delivering the programme.

For Merritt, a highlight has been seeing students’ confidence increase over time and watching them bond as a group.

She says: “We give them a workbook and they have to write down what they learnt, their favourite thing, and what they didn’t enjoy and why.

“Often that’s just what they don’t want to pursue as a career. So, it’s seeing that realisation and also that they develop their confidence.”

Merritt adds that some staff members have been “nervous” about delivering their part of the programme. Seeing them develop their own confidence has been another highlight.

Meanwhile, Winvic social value manager Emma Alderman emphasises the benefits of making the industry accessible to students who might previously have had little practical experience.

“It’s around giving the students real industry insight – a lot of them have never been to a live site before. It’s showcasing and making the industry more appealing to younger people.

“It’s led to industry placements and work experience for the students as well. That means we’re not just supporting them as part of the enrichment programme.”

The programme not only upskills and improves the confidence of students in further education, but also contributes to projects’ social value commitments.

Alderman explains: “It has helped deliver social value objectives. It’s a model that we can now link in with the colleges in different areas and we’ve got a ready-to-run programme that we can tailor and tweak.

“Colleges that have worked with us have seen the benefits to their students but also to their staff development.”

For Merritt, one of the biggest challenges is building relationships with new colleges. “We’re based in Northampton,” she says. “We know Northampton College and we’ve built relationships with other colleges, but [the challenge is] building the relationships with the next colleges and fitting it around their academic career and timetable.”

Merrit also emphasises the importance of “making sure there’s value in what you’re delivering”.

She says: “The design, surveying and planning T Level and engineering courses are good matches, for example, so there’s value there.

“There’s no point doing it if [both the students and colleges] are not getting any value out of it.”

Alderman adds that it is important to work closely with the colleges to understand their needs. This allows Winvic to “tailor everything to fit with the curriculum and to give as much variety as possible”.

Students who took part in the enrichment programme haven’t finished their courses yet, but Merritt says there’s “definitely a talent pipeline” there.

“It’s a chance for us to meet students. Some won’t work with us, but we can give them opportunity to work with an architect we have connections with, for example,” she says.

In terms of long-term careers in the industry, the outlook is positive. Classes at colleges are full and there are individuals who are “keen to come into the industry”, according to Merritt.

“When we talk about skills shortages there are a lot of careers that weren’t there before,” she adds.

Roles involving BIM and drone surveying, for example, have come to the fore relatively recently.

“BIM wasn’t a career 10 years ago, so we need to fill that gap in new emerging careers,” Merritt says. “Where do we get the people from? If it’s not a career your parents would talk about, how do you know about it?

“If you don’t know it’s a career, you won’t want to do it. So, it’s about filling those gaps as well.”

Walsall College student Chloe Dewbury took part in the enrichment programme as part of the first year of her T Level.  

Walsall College students worked across three Winvic projects during the programme: Kent St Baths, a 406-apartment build-to-rent scheme in the centre of Birmingham; Stoford’s Redditch Gateway, an industrial project where two facilities are being constructed; and West Midlands Interchange, a 734-acre site where civils and infrastructure works have recently begun for Oxford Properties Group and Logistics Capital Partners.

Here, Dewbury tells CIOB People about her experience of the enrichment programme.

What did the programme involve?

The enrichment programme incorporates all the different aspects of the construction industry. These include design, surveying and planning. It also contributes toward your work experience within the industry, helping you get a better understanding of the role you would like to continue training for and working in after your T Level course.

How did it complement your studies?

Having experience alongside your studies is crucial. It makes your studies much more meaningful as you have your own experiences with a construction company that help solidify what you are learning.

What are some of the key things you learnt during the programme?

The most important thing I have gained during the time I’ve been on the course has been the design aspect as I would like to be an architect. I have learnt how to use autoCAD and other software, which has been supported in college but also in my work placement as I have been able to learn from professionals.

And what were the highlights for you?

My highlights were being able to experience the building industry for real, working in Winvic’s offices. Every day, I was learning new things.

What would you say are the main benefits of the programme – for students and the industry?

The main benefits would be gaining that wider knowledge of design, planning and surveying by understanding more about the different roles in construction, especially those you work with closely on your placement. You also get to see how everything works alongside each other. When it comes to applying for university courses, jobs or a degree apprenticeship, that work experience makes a huge difference to your success as a candidate.