Building a career in construction

It has been a rather special start to the year for Maddie Piper StA’19 who is celebrating winning the Global Young Achiever Award for Europe in the Lendlease Global Employee Excellence Awards.

For someone who was undecided over what career path to take when doing her A levels, Maddie is already making a name for herself in the construction industry, at the same time as studying for a degree in Construction Management at the University of Westminster. Thanks to her mother encouraging her to do some work experience in the field, Maddie realised this was the route she wanted to take and then a 9-week placement before university confirmed her choice.

She tells us, “I’ve gone down the route of a day release scheme with Lendlease, a multinational construction company, whereby I complete my university degree at the same time as working full time. With the benefits that this route offers it was a no-brainer. Now over 3 and a half years have gone by and I’m in my 4th year of university and building 8 Bishopsgate, the 5th tallest building in London!”.

Maddie loves the interaction with people that the role brings, “On my project there are more than 700 staff from 22 countries. I have had the pleasure of making lifelong friendships as well as learning a wide range of skills and knowledge. The other thing I love is the variety of work   - every day is different with so many learning opportunities”.

The key thing that Maddie took into the workplace from her time at Worth was perseverance. As she says, “The construction industry is tough! Working through all kinds of weather (no working from home), with 95% of the workforce being men, doing at least 18,000 steps each day, I’ve most definitely had to persevere and get on with the job.”

In presenting Maddie with her award, Lendlease mention her perseverance in her ability to balance work and study at the same time. They also recognise her maturity and leadership skills that may have saved the life of an injured fellow worker. We wish her many congratulations!

Maddie would be delighted to offer advice to any young Worthians who are interested in a career in the construction industry. Her biggest piece of advice is to get some work experience as early as possible. She goes on to add, “No question is a stupid question, so ask as many as you can. People are one of the best resources of information and questions tend to lead to wider conversations. Finally, make mistakes! I’ve found it’s the best way to learn. Just don’t make the same mistake twice!”