Apprenticeships

Redditch site manager, 23, urges apprentices to join housebuilding industry

- 15 Jan 20

View our video: A former bricklaying apprentice, who has climbed to site manager at a housebuilder in Redditch, hopes to inspire other youngsters in the industry.

Kieron Wheeler, 23, based at Bovis Homes’ Millwood Meadows, off Weights Lane, is helping to train apprentices at the location.

Kieron, who says he puts the customer first and has set his sights on industry awards, started his apprentice aged 16 and later completed the trainee assistant site manager (TASM) programme.

“My career ambitions are to thrive on quality and win National House Building Council Pride in the Job awards for Bovis Homes,” Kieron, from Dudley, said.

“I started in the industry at the age of 16 and as soon as I saw the site manager walk through the door, I knew exactly what I wanted to be.

“For me, everything about building is about quality and delivering the best possible product that we can, to our customers. On handover day there’s nothing better than giving our customers the keys to their dream home and seeing big smiles on their faces.

“Growing up and coming onto a building site, it was huge for me to walk off site at the end of the development and know that I helped build that community, and that’s what I hope for our apprentices in the future.

“They have our full support and our office door is always open for advice to help guide them to reach their goals within the industry.”

Kieron’s career highlight so far is winning the Bovis Homes’ ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ for the West Midlands region, in 2018. Last year, Millwood Meadows also won the company’s ‘West Midlands Q1 2019 Best Overall Site Team’.

He has been helping to train carpentry apprentice Charlie Hill, from Stourbridge. View a video of Kieron at Millwood Meadows, here:

Charlie, 18, said: “Kieron is a great mentor and has really helped to support my apprenticeship at Millwood Meadows. He takes time to offer advice and share his experience, which has been invaluable so far.”

Bovis Homes’ 12-month TASM programme aims to progress talented people within the company to assistant site manager and helps them gain the relevant qualifications.

Kieron, who attended the Dudley College Construction and Apprenticeship Training Centre in Brierley Hill, added: "If you are a young person looking to get into the construction industry, an apprenticeship is for you - 100% it is an absolutely fantastic scheme!

“The support you get throughout the process is amazing. Without Bovis Homes’ help I wouldn’t be where I am today and I can’t thank the company enough for the support and advice they have given me.

“To be become a site manager it takes hard work, dedication, enthusiasm and good leadership skills. Being respectful is a huge thing and, if you go that extra mile, eventually the success will come - the TASM programme really helps to instil this.”