Publication Date: 29-01-2025 09:00
Graduate finds dream job in construction through training programme with Bellway
Joe Jones has found his dream job after he decided to change career and join Bellway’s Graduate Programme.
The 24-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, tried a job in telesales after graduating with a degree in business and history from the University of Liverpool.
But after realising it was not the role for him, he took a job as a labourer with a local joinery firm and then enrolled on a joinery course at college with the aim of getting into the construction industry.
Now a construction graduate with Bellway’s Manchester division, he is based at the developer’s NHBC award-winning Park Gate Village development in Knutsford.
“I feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity to work in the building industry,” said Joe. “I am loving every minute of it and am incredibly excited about being trained in an industry that I am passionate about.
“My dad is a painter and decorator and I used to help him after I left my role in telesales and I really enjoyed it. I would go into houses with him and prepare rooms to be finished to a professional standard and I found that construction suited me as an industry to work in.”
Joe, who joined Bellway in September 2024, is one of 22 graduates hired by the developer through its graduate programme last year.
“Right from day one, everyone I have encountered at Bellway has been incredibly supportive and there really is a great culture here where people are encouraged and assisted to realise their full potential,” he said. “I could not be at a better place to learn this job.
“As part of the two-year training programme I am on, I will get to spend time working in other departments. I spent a month with the customer care team at the Manchester headquarters and it was brilliant to get an insight into what they do. It was also a great chance to meet new people and to make new friends. I will be seconded to the sales team soon and I am looking forward to learning all about that aspect of the industry.
“At Park Gate Village, I am shadowing the assistant site manager Adam McCall, who has recently come through the same route as me as a construction graduate. He was in my shoes a couple of years ago, so he appreciates my position and is always willing to help and, in fact, positively encourages me to ask questions.
“As part of my role, I am tasked to take care of quality control at the second-fix stage up until the keys are handed to the customer. I have to snag plots and liaise with the contractors to get any problems resolved and to ensure the properties look perfect. I am a real people person and I don’t want to be sitting behind a desk looking at a screen and speaking into a telephone all day, so this job suits me down to the ground.
“The construction industry is where I feel I belong and I am determined to take advantage of all the help and support to fulfil my ambition of becoming a site manager one day. However, at the moment, my aims are to complete this training course, qualify as an assistant site manager and to buy my own house.”
Mathew McAdam, Managing Director at Bellway Homes Manchester said: “Joe is a fantastic addition to our team at Bellway Manchester and is a popular member of staff at Park Gate Village. His obvious enthusiasm for the job and his can-do-attitude are impressing everyone he works with.
“Joe has already shown he has all the attributes to succeed in the industry and we will be providing him with the relevant training and support to enable him to progress and further his career at the company.
“His experiences show that you don’t need to have a relevant degree to pursue a career in construction through our graduate programme – you just need to be committed, talented and keen to learn.”
For more information about careers with Bellway, visit https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/.
