Leading partnership homes developer Lovell Midlands has recently appointed and promoted a number of trainees, providing opportunities within the construction industry and investing in future talent during the pandemic. Since 2016 Lovell has hired 28 trainees, with over 50% of those having already progressed to more senior positions within the company. This year alone, a further five apprentices have joined Lovell during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Dominic Riley, 37, from Fradley, near Lichfield, recently joined Lovell as a trainee construction manager, on a two-year training scheme. His role involves conducting site inspections to ensure work is being carried out safely, and alongside working at Lovell Dominic is studying towards a degree in construction management which will run over 5 years. He said: “I had been wanting to move into management for some time, so seized the opportunity when I saw the role advertised. As a trainee my job is very varied; over the next two years I will be spending time in each department at Lovell, which provides an oversight of the entire business before I choose an area to specialise in. I love the variety and being able to see how Lovell operates.
“I’m looking forward to passing my degree, becoming fully qualified and hopefully working my way up within Lovell. They’re an amazing employer; they’re very supportive and keen to help me advance as quickly and effectively as possible.”
18-year-old Megan Aldington, from Tamworth, was recently appointed as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor after completing work experience at Lovell in 2019. Megan is now looking to move up the career ladder within the company to become a Quantity Surveyor. She commented: “My co-workers are all so nice, and it’s so easy to ask them questions with no fear of judgement; it’s been so great to learn in such a calm and easy environment, and I’m glad that there are so many people around me who can help teach me. Luckily, I’m yet to meet a challenge that a quick question to my mentor can’t fix!”
Daniel Cartwright from Burntwood, has also joined the company as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor. Following his time gaining work experience in Lovell’s surveying department and working as an Agency Labourer, Daniel, 19, wanted a higher role within the industry and found Lovell’s trainee scheme an excellent opportunity. He said: “My role is challenging but there’s always plenty to do and it’s a great environment to work in. I’m looking forward to one day becoming a Managing Quantity Surveyor at Lovell.”
21-year-old Samuel Woodhouse, from Walsall, has been promoted to Trainee Quantity Surveyor after joining Lovell in 2018 as a Management Trainee, where he developed his skill set across multiple departments, allowing him to find the one that best suited him for his long-term career. He commented: “I have luckily been placed on training schemes throughout the entirety of my time at Lovell and I would highly recommend them as an employer. They have helped me grow and mature whilst offering the opportunity to perform several roles I wouldn’t have been able to without the training scheme.”
Jordan Bird, 26, from Coventry, was promoted to Assistant Quantity Surveyor in 2019 following her time as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor. Jordan enjoys being able to study part time whilst learning on the job, as this enables her to see and experience first-hand situations that she is learning about at University. She said: “Lovell are a great company to work for; they support you with training, mentoring and help guide you in the right direction to achieve individual career plans. The support I get from my managers has really helped me with my own progression within Lovell.”
Stuart Penn, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “We’re very proud of the training scheme we have developed at Lovell. It’s important to us to invest in developing raw talent and that’s why we’re very keen on funding an education for our trainees. Most of the current regional management team came through these training programs and we appreciate the importance of them. We also value the importance of having a team of diverse and talented individuals and love offering our trainees the opportunity to flourish within the industry.
“Investing in new talent is especially important against the challenging backdrop of the pandemic and we’re very proud to continue to provide training opportunities during these difficult times.”