Taiwo was directed towards our Pathways to Professional Careers programme as she knew she wanted to pursue a career in either the construction and built environment sector, or mechanical engineering but wasn’t sure which pathway would best suit her.

Working with her Construction Youth Trust coach throughout the programme allowed her to explore different higher-level degree apprenticeship opportunities as an alternative to university. She also developed her confidence in talking to the industry professionals who supported the programme sessions she participated in.

Alongside participating in the Pathways to Professional Careers programme, Taiwo also took part in a Building Future Skills programme, something that she found really useful as she was able to develop her CV and attend mock interviews. As a result of this, she also secured a work experience placement with a construction company where she got to experience the inner workings of the company and discover more about the industry.

Taiwo also took it upon herself to explore a variety of career pathways, such as attending a biomedical summer school; however, she didn’t enjoy this as much as the experiences she’d had on our programme and in the construction and built environment sector. Through this combination of experiences, Taiwo decided that a higher-level degree apprenticeship was the right path to follow.

After attending a Live Vacancies day with Skanska, where she had the opportunity to learn about the organisation and hear former Construction Youth Trust alumni now working as apprentices speak, we are thrilled to announce that Taiwo has been offered a higher-level degree apprenticeship as a project engineer!

We wish her the best of luck on her journey!

Our Pathways to Professional Careers programme supports students (aged 16-18) interested in pursuing professional pathways, with a priority focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups. Research shows that young people from well-off backgrounds are 80% more likely to be in a professional job. Pathways aims to level the apprenticeship playing field, helping young people overcome barriers and access rewarding Higher Level and Degree apprenticeship opportunities and professional careers.