Former Royal Marine Tom says transferable skills helped with site promotion

- 10 Nov 20

HM Forces and construction are careers which you’d think are quite different, but Tom Jupp is proving that’s far from the case… The former Royal Marine joined Bovis Homes in September 2019 as a trainee and his strong work ethic and sharp eye for detail quickly stood out – leading to his promotion to assistant site manager. Tom, 26, is being mentored by Gary French, site manager at Blackmore Meadows in Stalbridge. He has undertaken a number of NHBC and management courses on an array of topics from scaffolding awareness and site management, to first aid and understanding building regulations. Responsible for assisting the site team, Tom works alongside Gary to ensure the new homes are delivered to a high quality, on time and on budget. This involves helping run the site, overseeing the different trades, health and safety paperwork plus on-site checks, and meeting with customers. Commenting on his promotion and his time at Bovis Homes, Tom explained: “I love being on site and my Royal Marine background has proved to be a great foundation. I was surprised how transferable the skills were: you need to have high standards, leadership and management qualities, excellent attention to detail, a great work ethic, plus good time management and punctuality.” Tom was a Royal Marine for six years and worked in the Yeovil Helicopter Force and other areas including counter-terrorism and humanitarian aid. However, Tom frequently had to stay away from home and felt like he was missing his daughter growing up. Tom added: “Since leaving, it’s not been hard to adapt and I love the job and the available prospects; there’s a clear career path, just like the Forces, and I’m keen to progress through the ranks. It’s amazing job satisfaction as you start to see a development take shape and working in Stalbridge has been so rewarding as we’ve just completed two new thatched properties which I found fascinating. It’s been a great move for me.” Tom lives in a Bovis home in Somerton with his partner Sophie and daughter Olivia, who’s three years old. He loves watching rugby in his spare time. Gareth Neale, construction director for Bovis Homes South West, said: “Tom was a stand out candidate to us. His commitment to the job was apparent from the beginning and it’s testament to him that he was promoted within a year. Finding the right work/life balance is so important and it’s great Tom enjoys his work and can spend more time with his family, as his dedication on site is clear.” Last year, Bovis Homes achieved the highest award from the Ministry of Defence for supporting armed forces personnel – the Government’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award. As the first dedicated housebuilder in the industry to receive the acknowledgement, Bovis Homes was recognised for a raft of initiatives, including providing employment opportunities and helping those connected to the military onto the housing ladder. Bovis Homes has also signed the BuildForce charter to encourage ex-military into construction and offers mentoring and work placements to those with military backgrounds. For more details on the training schemes available, visit www.bovis-careers.co.uk