Case Studies

Case Study: Stephen Parsonage – Wynne Construction

What does your role involve?

I’m an apprentice joiner and during my first year, I was fortunate to work on the largest scheme that Wynne Construction has completed to date – a new Sixth form hub in the region. The experience I gained was invaluable as I could put into practice everything I had learnt from my Building Craft Foundation course at college. The work is varied and is interesting and I am given the opportunity to work with the different subcontractors along with our team of joiners.

What do you like about your job?

The job that joiners do is very hands on and physical work but also mentally challenging. I am a perfectionist so do like things to be 100% accurate and this does tend to help with my job providing the finishing touches to rooms in terms of doors, frames and skirting. Joiners, are one of the trades who tend to spend the longest amount of time on any one project, so we are fortunate to see schemes develop and progress over a number of weeks and are usually there at the completion which is very satisfying.

What’s your working day like?

Currently, I’m travelling over 40 miles to site with the team in one of the company vans that picks me up at 7am so it’s an early start. Work is always busy and interesting when there is something new. We do repetitive work particularly on the large school projects but we are given a variety of work to do by our site manager who is qualified joiner and a great mentor for me.

There is a great balance of independence and teamwork on the Wynne Construction sites. I also still attend college one day per week so it’s good to catch up with my friends and share our experiences. During the working day, we have a morning and lunch break and usually leave site around 4pm.

What skills do you need in your job?

I think having an eye for detail and the need to be accurate is an important skill for a joiner. You also need to be organised with your tools and having the right equipment on hand. The fact that I did pass my GCSE in maths and design/technology has really helped with my theory and the planning of work and studying the drawings. Communication skills are also important in terms of listening and asking questions as making mistakes could be costly and impact the progress of the project.

What was your background before starting this role?

From an early age, I enjoyed helping out with DIY projects at home and knew that I wanted to work in joinery. My hobbies include motorsport and being good with my hands does help preparing the car for race meetings. I completed my Building Craft Foundation course prior to starting my apprenticeship.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I’m really proud of gaining my apprenticeship with Wynne Construction as they are reputable company in North Wales and apprenticeships can be difficult to find.

The job has improved my self-confidence and given me the opportunity to pass my driving test and buy my first car! Working on the Deeside Sixth project, I was really pleased with my work and skills involved to complete the jobs on time, with few errors and received praise from my site manager for my hard work.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

I’m sure I’ll have a future in construction and will either be working in joinery or possibly in site management. A number of former apprentices with Wynne Construction are now site managers in their 20s, so I know that’s a possibility if I work hard and prove myself. The company are really supportive of training and development and do encourage our progress.

A bit of advice for anyone thinking about a career in construction?

I would suggest doing the Building Craft Foundation course first to see which trade in construction that you like the most and then plan to do it! Also work placements are a great opportunity to gain site experience so would recommend doing a placement if you can.