As National Careers Week and Women in Construction Week 2025 come to a close, we’re speaking to Millicent, who completed two years at Nottingham Trent University and commenced her Winvic journey at the start of July alongside our other placement trainees.
What project(s) have you been working on?
I started off with a two-week induction that included visits to different Winvic sites. I was then placed at Indurent Park Burton. It’s five units ranging from 38,000 sq ft to 173,000 sq ft, or 309,000 sq ft in total, and the cladding was about halfway through installation when I arrived on site. The project commenced in March 2024 and then it we reached practical completion in January 2025, which was two weeks early.
Because of where the project was in the programme, I did a small amount of engineering such as undertaking quality assurance on things like the warehouse ground floor slab and setting out kerbs. I then spent a lot of time with the site manager, Tim, who was responsible for the internal packages. I helped him manage the mechanical and electrical trades and I worked quite closely with Dave the project manager as well, attending progress meetings with clients to listen and learn and daily black hat meetings. Black hats are the subcontractor supervisors. I learned so much from the wider team and about the whole site and project management process and I’m very grateful. Dave asked me what my goal was, and I said to be a project manager one day, so he made sure I got to see and be involved in as much as possible.
Immediately after this project, I moved to another industrial project. It’s a multi-unit project with five facilities totalling 302,000 sq ft. It has been great to be on a project from the start because I’m able to get involved in the classic civils and infrastructure works. I’ve been working with the engineers and the construction manager and attended some design team meetings as well.
How did you discover Winvic, and what made you choose us?
I started by doing independent research and I noticed that Winvic was quite active on LinkedIn and up to date in showing what projects they’re working on. Then the team came to my university careers fair, and I asked lots of questions. I went for interviews with other contractors and consultants and the main things that drew me to Winvic was my desire to be outside on site and that they had a really good people approach. They seemed to put the team as their main priority, and I knew that I wouldn’t get lost as a placement student just making cups of tea. At the careers fair I asked what a day in the role would be like for me and I watched and read blogs from previous students. It sounded like the most hands-on placement and it is – it’s perfect.
What responsibilities have you had in the last seven months?
At the moment working as a trainee site engineer, I look at the drawings and prepare myself with what I need to go and set out a particular package on site. My first responsibility at my current project has been the foundations on Unit 3 and 4, so an important one, and quite exciting. I’ve been marking out where the subcontractors need to work, setting the dig level and then also floating the bolts, which is putting all the bolts in line for the steel frame to connect to.
To be able to do this I’ve learned how to use a robotic total station, which measures horizontal and vertical distances between the fixed station and a mobile receiver. At university I was taught with two total stations where you use the crossover point to set things out, so it’s been great to see more up-to-date technologies.
I began watching and learning from Dan, an engineer, then I did some while he supervised and then he trusted me to do it on my own. I was quite scared, but it was good because he just let me do it and work through it. I made a couple of mistakes but with Dan’s support I learned very quickly and the groundworkers have been really helpful and patient too.
I think quite a few people say this, but the construction terminology was a challenge at first because there’s such a gap between university and the real world. For example, “cut and fill” is the excavation of ground material and placing it somewhere else, a “biscuit” is a cover slab for a manhole and a “rubber duck” is a digger or an excavator that’s on wheels!
Winvic has also given me loads of additional opportunities that have helped with my learning and confidence. I’ve done placements with different departments, an AutoCAD training course, an advanced setting out course and I went back to my university careers fair, helping on the Winvic stand. It was nice to be in that position as I knew how much it helped me, and I think it’s important that students get to understand the genuine experience. I also helped to put together a presentation on my experience for placement candidates and was surprised but delighted to be involved in the interviews.
What has been your best day on site so far?
One week that was really important to me when I look back was at Indurent Park, Burton, when the site manager in charge of the internal area of the warehouse was on annual leave, and I stepped up. The site manager in charge of the external works and project manager were always on hand, but what was quite rewarding was that all the subcontractor supervisors came to me first with information and questions.
There was a challenge with a ceiling in one unit and then the fire escape doors weren’t delivered when they should have been, which could have impacted a lot of the trades. I consulted the project manager, and we kept on programme throughout the week. It gave me a huge sense of reassurance that actually I could do this and that week gave me the confidence to take on more responsibility.
That’s also when I really started to find my voice because when I arrived at Burton, having never been on a site before, I was terrified! I built strong relationships with all of the internal trades teams and found the confidence to be firm but polite. I was quite nervous at first about how I would be treated as a woman with no past experience, but everyone appreciated that I wanted to learn. Nobody cares what gender you are either, I’ve seen nothing but mutual respect with everyone.
What is it like being part of the Winvic team?
I’ve had the best experience thanks to both of my site teams, they’ve just been so supportive. I’ve shown interest in everything and wanted to take it on board, so the Winvic team members and subcontractors have let me follow them round, ask questions and let me have a go at what they’re doing. I suppose it’s a bit nosey asking ‘what are you looking at on that?’, but people have talked me through their work because they genuinely want me to develop.
The atmosphere on both sites that I’ve been on has also been fantastic and there’s a good balance of respecting responsibilities while having a laugh. I organised our Christmas night out and that was definitely fun! Even when there’s a challenge, team morale never dips and it’s more like ‘what can we do about it?’ and ‘let’s crack on’.
I’m glad that I joined as an engineer, but I’ve gained so much more knowledge thanks to being treated as a valued member of the team. I’ve wanted to learn as much as I could, and I’m grateful that Winvic has been able to offer that to me. I just said yes to everything, and they just gave me more and more and more to do and learn, so it’s worked out perfectly!
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