From Careers Panel To Apprentice:
How Growing Talent Digital Leeds
Opens Doors To Opportunity

When Josh attended a Growing Talent Digital Leeds careers panel in Year 10, he had no idea what he wanted to do after his GCSEs or where the careers panel could lead. Just two years later, he’s now an Apprentice Design Manager at Willmott Dixon, a leading construction contractor, with a broad horizon of opportunities ahead of him. We caught up with Josh and the team at Willmott Dixon to find out how the careers panel sparked an interest and opened doors to opportunities.

Back in 2023, volunteers from a range of employers met early in the morning for a careers panel at a local secondary school as part of Growing Talent Digital Leeds, an award-winning careers engagement programme which showcases the variety of careers in tech. A volunteer from Willmott Dixon, who was an alum of the school, was passionate about raising awareness of the range of roles in construction and how digital skills are essential in all industries.

Josh said: “I’d always had a bit of an interest in architecture and the design of buildings, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in the future. Then when Willmott Dixon came into school for the careers panel, I was really interested in what the volunteer had to say about their work. So, I went to speak to her at the end and she mentioned their work experience scheme which seemed good to get experience of different aspects of the business and the working world. So, I kept in touch to organise it myself because I thought it would be a good experience that would help me decide what I want to do in the future.”

Josh’s independence and proactivity impressed the team at Willmott Dixon who created a work experience placement during school holidays throughout the school year.

Ian Fletcher, Head of Design at Willmott Dixon said: “We were really impressed with the way Josh took the initiative to enquire about work experience. It showed independence, drive and a real interest in construction. We always look for the right attitude and the right skills to be able to sit within our teams, so we knew that we would be able to provide an opportunity for Josh that would nurture his interest and give him valuable experience within the industry.

“We’re keen to support young talent and encourage more young people into the industry through early career routes such as apprenticeships and work experience placements.”

During his work experience placement, Josh gained exposure to different teams within the business and got a flavour for different careers within construction and the built environment from pre-planning to build phase. This combination of office-based and site-based activities has given Josh valuable experience of a variety of aspects within the industry, supporting him to build a strong foundational knowledge that will support him to make informed decisions about his future career.

Following his work experience, Willmott Dixon offered Josh the opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship with them. He said: “I had been looking into apprenticeships because I wanted to get into the world of work after my GCSEs. I’d heard that employers look for qualifications, but that experience was valuable as well, so I was keen to gain experience, but I hadn’t found anything that was right for me. Then when the opportunity at Willmott Dixon popped up, I knew it was a great place to work so I applied and got the apprenticeship!”

Josh is now in the first year of his Design Manager apprenticeship, working four days per week and studying at the Leeds College of Building one day per week. Through a combination of workplace learning and education, he is developing his digital skills which are vital to the pre-planning and design phases of developments, while also putting into practice employability skills such as time management, confidence, and communication that he developed throughout school.

Suzie Bell, Programme Manager at Ahead Partnership and Lead of Growing Talent Digital Leeds said: “It’s brilliant to see how Josh has seized the opportunity to connect with employers and has gone from strength to strength following the careers panel. Our partners and volunteers in the programme are so generous with their time, advice and expertise and share our goals to level the playing field for young people from all backgrounds. We love hearing success stories like this that show how programmes such as Growing Talent Digital Leeds can open doors for young people. We’re excited to follow Josh’s journey on what will no doubt be a very successful career in the built environment.”

Growing Talent Digital Leeds is a collaborative engagement programme by Ahead Partnership, designed to educate, excite and inspire young people in Leeds into future tech and digital careers. Co-designed and co-funded by top employers in the city’s digital and tech sectors, Growing Talent Digital Leeds is aimed at young people that face additional barriers to entering the industry and seeks to increase social mobility while building a strong pipeline of future talent for the industry and the city, supporting inclusive growth for the region. Find out more about Growing Talent Digital Leeds here.