Case Study: Cidon Construction and Awaiz Younis
News
20th August 2009
Awaiz Younis undertook an apprenticeship with HB Training at the Attercliffe Centre in Sheffield. Taking an apprenticeship in Civil Engineering, Awaiz not only demonstrated outstanding commitment, winning him the Trainee of the Year Award, his positive attitude and enthusiasm also ensured his employment with Cidon Construction.
“I’ve always been interested in construction. When I got the chance to see a building site up close, I realised that that’s what I wanted to do when I left school. I contacted HB Training and went on an assessment day, after which I got accepted to start an apprenticeship.”
“The training course normally takes 18 months to finish, but I completed it all in 12 months,” said Awaiz. “I then undertook two work placements, 8 months with my first company, working on small building jobs, and then a second placement with Cidon for 6 months, working on some very large construction projects and doing all manner of jobs. It was great.”
“I really learnt a lot at Cidon, mainly because of the variety of work I had to do on different sites and because the team was so good to work with. The instructors at HB were also helpful; they treat you like an adult and they have loads of experience and advice – all of it helps when you eventually go on to a construction site.”
“It’s been a good experience, but I’m still learning! You get out what you put in. Ask lots of questions and try to be as positive as possible – that’s the advice I’d give to someone starting an apprenticeship.”
Cidon Construction’s Health and Safety Manager, Rob Fiedor:
“From our point of view, no one at Cidon has had a bad word to say about Awaiz. He works well, works hard and is always smiling. Having him working with us, whilst he was completing his apprenticeship, allowed him to experience a wide range of roles and tasks, and allowed us to get to know him and see how he would fit in with the team here.”
“When you take on a school leaver, you have no idea about what they will be like. Sometimes, after a few weeks, you realise that they are not going to meet your expectations and you have to let them go. However, with HB there’s no risk at all, as you get to work with the youngster before making a decision about whether they are going to fit with your operation. There’s no risk to the employer.”
“On site, Awaiz was ‘adopted’ by the Site Manager, Pat Moriarty, who made sure he was looked after and got to experience a range of jobs. Pat gave Awaiz a glowing report saying that his attitude was second to none and his awareness of site safety was excellent. Given our experience with him, we were able to take the decision to offer Awaiz a permanent position within the company.”
“I’ve had no problems at all with HB Training. Karen Jordan, our HB Placement Officer, kept in touch throughout Awaiz’s placement, visiting the site and making sure everything was taken care of. We would definitely have another apprentice from HB Training.”
Cidon construction is a multi-disciplined contractor specialising in concrete frame construction, in addition to working across a broad spectrum of civil engineering and building sector projects. The company prides itself on its commitment to quality and safety, ensuring continuous training of its operatives and top end project management, all of which has given Cidon an enviable reputation for contract delivery.
Link: http://www.mylwa.co.uk/news/2009/08/20/case-study-cidon-construction-and-awaiz-younis/
