We were delighted to welcome one of our many Serious About Youth (SAY) work experience candidates, Hussain Al-Nawab, to complete one-week’s work experience with us.
This placement was particularly special for us, as we had Hussain join us on-site at the Neilcott Headquarters decarbonisation & refurbishment scheme. It was great to see Hussain on-site with our M&E Subcontractor, Kent M&E, who provided him with hands-on experience in the field he is interested in – Electrical Engineering.
At Neilcott we are always eager to share our knowledge and inspire others to join a CareerInConstruction & are continuing to work closely with The London Construction Programme and SAY to facilitate work experience for aspiring construction operatives.
The London Construction Programme sat down with Hussain to ask him a few questions about his experience at Neilcott.
What inspired you to pursue a career in construction?
I originally wanted to become an electrician, but then I thought, why don’t I do engineering too? So, I combined them together, as it’s the best of both worlds. After carrying out some research I came across the SAY programme which was the perfect way to get my foot in the door.
How did you find out about SAY?
My form tutor at school came across a poster and showed me. I thought it was the perfect way to gain experience, so I applied to the programme, and they gave me a placement for one week’s work experience at Croydon College, and another one weeks placement at Neilcott Construction Limited in Mays half term. They told me about all the various career opportunities, which really opened my eyes.
What aspect of your experience have you enjoyed the most?
I really enjoyed removing all the tiles from the site and figuring out where the wiring goes. It sounds tedious, but I find it fun to tidy up all the mess that’s left behind!
How are you finding the work environment?
It’s fun, very open, feels like one big family and I feel very included. As it’s the first live site I have been to, everything I do will receive feedback, but I’m open to that because it helps me learn. I am told how to do things this way for this reason which I’m happy about because I learn that way.
What has been the most rewarding part of your experience so far?
I would say the whole experience itself is rewarding because I’m here on a site which I’ve never been to before and I get to see firsthand what it’s like and learn new things.
How do you balance your work and study commitments?
I prioritise my education and I study every night. Once I have finished revising, I focus on work. I feel that if I focus on my education, it’ll give me a better future in the long term.
Would you recommend SAY to others?
100% It’s been really eye opening and helpful, I’ve been telling my friends to apply to the programme as you get to see different aspects of the industry.