Women in Construction Week - Employee Stories

Name: Jessica Beniston
Position: BTEC Industry Placement Student

Describe your role. I am currently undertaking a work experience placement at Winvic as part of my college course.  My role is to shadow the site team, from the Project Manager to the engineers, learning all about the different stages of a project. I have been learning, with the guidance of the engineers, how to check the rebar [HS1] for the pre pour inspections and marking out gridlines.  Going out on to the site has given me practical, hands-on knowledge, that I could not have gained at college. I have also been able to sit in on meetings with the client and the design team, headed up by the Project Manager, learning all the behind the scenes of the project.

Tell me about your career path leading up to your current role. I am currently enrolled on a Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma course in Civil Engineering at West Nottinghamshire College where we learn about management, site investigations, different foundations and much more. I have been offered an apprenticeship with Winvic within the Civil Engineering side of the business.

How long have you been at Winvic? Since March 2022

Describe working at Winvic in 3 words. Exciting, Friendly, Challenging

Why Construction? I was fascinated by every detail within the construction industry, from the structure of the building, the way it is designed, to every little component and material used to create a project. Construction isn’t a repetitive job, and every day brings new challenges and excitement.

What attracted you to Winvic? Winvic stood out within the industry, from the way they train new employees on and off site, to the way they approach projects in different sectors – Multi-room, Civils and Infrastructure or Industrial. Winvic has a broad community, and all employees strive for success.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to join Winvic? Don’t be afraid to follow the pathway that your heart most desires. There might be challenges but Winvic always finds a way.

Name: Hollie Parkes
Position: Site Engineer

Describe your role. As a Site Engineer, I provide the setting out for the subcontractors on site, to enable them to build the job effectively and efficiently. Other site activities include writing permits to ensure subcontractors work safely, reading drawings and calculating quantities of materials. A Site Engineer has the responsibility of carrying out day-to-day management of subcontractors, ensuring that the works are planned efficiently to align with the construction programme.

Tell me about your career path leading up to your current role. I studied a degree in Civil Engineering at Nottingham Trent University for four years. In my third year, I completed an industry placement at Winvic which enabled me to gain invaluable site experience and understand what it means to be a Site Engineer. After an amazing 15 months on site and once I’d graduated from university, Winvic offered me a full-time job as a Site Engineer.

How long have you been at Winvic? 18 months since graduating (two and a half years if you include my placement).

Describe working at Winvic in 3 words. Friendly, Supportive, Rewarding

Why Construction? I liked the idea of working together in a team and making something seen on drawings ‘come to life’. I also like working in an outdoor environment, solving problems on site and I enjoy never having two days the same.

What attracted you to Winvic? Winvic offers great opportunities through apprenticeships, placements and graduate schemes which enables students and young people to have a fantastic start to their careers in construction. I was particularly interested in the variety of sectors Winvic was involved with as well as the schemes they were undertaking at the time, particularly SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway which is close to where I live.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to join Winvic? I feel very lucky to work here and to have the opportunity to meet a wide variety of knowledgeable and experienced people, all of who have been so helpful throughout my time at Winvic. I recommend that anyone studying a construction industry related degree should apply for a placement here to help start your career in construction in a friendly and supportive environment.

See my blog for more insights.

Name: Oliwia Karwatka
Position: BIM Coordinator

Describe your role. I’m currently working as a BIM Coordinator as part of the Digital Delivery team, assisting on Winvic’s Industrial and Multi-room projects. I create 3D models from 2D drawings across multi-disciplines for clash detection, to eliminate issues during the construction progress. My role also involves creating CGIs, 3D sequences and video animations of project build timelines, as well as providing 4D planning support. I love what I do as I get to work with different teams on a variety of projects, coming up with creative ideas of how to make projects come to life during the tender stage. Aside to my main role, I am proud to be a STEM Ambassador. Having the opportunity to encourage future generations to consider a career in construction, by showing them the creative roles within this job sector, is really exciting.

Tell me about your career path leading up to your current role. After finishing my Architectural Technology degree, I began working at Winvic in October 2020 as a CAD Technician. I progressed to a BIM Coordinator in December 2020 and became part of the Digital Delivery team at the end of 2021. Throughout my career at Winvic, I am continuously expanding my skill set and creating new and efficient processes to solve any problems that may arise.

How long have you been at Winvic? I have been at Winvic for two and a half years.

Describe working at Winvic in 3 words. Exciting, challenging and rewarding.

Why Construction? When considering different careers, it was important for me to ensure that I would have a sense of accomplishment when completing tasks and projects. This led me to researching the construction sector job roles, mainly looking at the creative roles within construction.

What attracted you to Winvic? When I researched the company, I saw that Winvic values its employees and encourages them to reach their full potential, whilst enjoying their job roles. I am a very ambitious individual, so it is important to me to have a variety of opportunities and projects to work on; both of which Winvic provides.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to join Winvic? If you enjoy challenges, working hard and reaching your personal growth goals. I would advise you to go for it! Nothing bad can ever happen from applying and you never know, it could lead you to an amazing career path.

Name: Ammara Dassu
Position: Site Engineer

Describe your role. I’m currently a Site Engineer at Winvic. During my time here I have worked on projects in both the infrastructure and industrial sectors. My daily duties involve setting out and surveying different aspects of the project, as well as liaising with subcontractors to ensure that everyone is happy with the work that needs to be completed.

Tell me about your career path leading up to your current role. I started off with an interest in architecture but throughout my A levels my curiosity in how things were built started to grow, so I chose a degree in Civil Engineering. When looking for a placement at university, I came across Winvic at a careers fair. After speaking to a Trainee Site Engineer I was impressed by what they had to say and I applied. I went on to do my ‘Year in Industry’ placement with Winvic and thoroughly enjoyed it. After completing my degree, I returned to Winvic as a full-time graduate Site Engineer.

How long have you been at Winvic? I undertook my ‘Year in Industry’ with Winvic in 2021 working for 12 months at the Mercia Park project. I returned to Winvic after graduating in September 2023 and since then I have been working on the major infrastructure project at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton.

Describe working at Winvic in 3 words. Ambitious, exciting, educational

Why Construction? Every day on site is different and being involved in the development of buildings from paper to handover attracted me to the industry. It’s very rewarding.

What attracted you to Winvic? Whilst on my placement year with Winvic I soon realised that everyone here is willing to help and push you to reach your full potential. The different teams I have worked with have all motivated me to learn and grow within the industry and have focused on my development to help me to progress my career.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to join Winvic? Be open to learning new things and taking on new challenges.

See my blog for more insights.

Name: Natasha Owen
Position: T Level Placement Student

Describe your role. I am a T-Level student at Bridgwater and Taunton College and I work at a Winvic site every Monday as the work placement element of my course. I sit in on meetings, go onto site with members of the team and try to learn new things whenever I can. I wouldn’t say I have a defined role, but all the activities I undertake tie into my continuous learning and development.

Tell me about your career path leading up to your current role. After achieving my GCSEs, I moved on to college doing a T-Level course, and as part of that course I have to complete 315 hours of on site work experience with a company. Winvic has been great in providing me with this opportunity to learn and have invaluable experience of hands-on construction.

How long have you been at Winvic? I have been at Winvic for almost three months now, consecutively each week.

Describe working at Winvic in 3 words. Collaborative, engaging, rewarding.

Why Construction? As a woman, I was never drawn to the historic stereotypical ‘female roles’, and construction has always been an interest of mine that I wanted to pursue. It is such a rewarding industry and every day you learn something new, face challenges and work as part of a collaborative group. Being able to step back and look at a final product knowing you’ve played a part in it, is something that really appeals to me.

What attracted you to Winvic? With my placement, it’s about gaining a lot of experience so when I got the chance to do my placement at Winvic’s Redcliff Quarter Build-to-Rent scheme in Bristol I was overjoyed. It is a very large project that will have a lot of different challenges along the way, which will be an amazing learning opportunity. The knowledge I’ve gained so far has allowed me to develop my learning in class and share my experience with my peers.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to join Winvic? Winvic is an amazing company to learn with and my colleagues on site are lovely and always accommodating. The management team has such a great attitude towards the job and everyone and everything involved. Winvic has set an amazing example for me for the rest of my career.