A group of students from Dundee & Angus College recently got a taste of life in the built environment sector after winning a contest to spend a week with Robertson.
The four students triumphed over twenty teams from across Scotland in the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) Student Challenge.
The winning team included second year civil engineering student Helen Monckton (33) from Laurencekirk and building surveying student Greg Ireland (25) from Dundee, who spent time on site in Dundee, where Robertson is delivering a £40 million development of flats, offices and a hotel on the city’s Waterfront.
Liam Short, a senior project manager for Robertson, was on the CIOB Student Challenge judging panel. He said, “This year’s CIOB challenge was in a slightly different format – a hypothetical project with some key scoring criteria, however generally left open for the students to review and respond how they best saw fit.
“What set the top teams apart was that they not only used their academic built environment experience but also used their life experience, such as previous jobs and hobbies to adopt a holistic approach to solving the problems given to them – all of which the winning team ultimately demonstrated.”
Student Greg Ireland added, “I found that the tasks we were given helped provide me with a better insight into the construction process and how a large company is run, and really enjoyed spending time with the quantity surveyors and the planning workshop that I took part in. There was a good variety over the week and seeing inside the office workplace was just as helpful and interesting than being out on site. Learning about the civil side of construction was also a highlight.”
Scott Alexander, managing director of Robertson Construction North commented, “We’re always looking for ways to engage with the next generation of construction professionals – from architects to project managers and engineers to marketers. Sponsoring the CIOB Student Challenge is a fantastic way of reaching this new talent and making them aware of all of the opportunities available through our own graduate and apprentice schemes.
“The winning team received a placement on site at Dundee Waterfront, a dynamic, large-scale development which allowed them to be exposed to a variety of different disciplines, providing on-the-job learning that will supplement their classroom studies.”
The development at Dundee Waterfront was procured through Scape Group’s National Major Works Framework and delivered by Robertson in partnership with Willmott Dixon.
