BUILDING A BIG FUTURE

MISERABLE and frustrated with studying for A-levels, Fatima Wonto Saidykhan discovered T-levels instead which she soon realised were the perfect gateway into the construction industry. And now, still only 19, Fatima, from Norwich, is a degree apprentice site manager.

What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?

I started at Morgan Sindall Construction last September after completing my industry placement with them as part of my T-level in construction. We rotate departments every six months – from site management, site engineering, design management, planning, estimating to quantity surveying. I have just finished six months in estimating and have just rotated into planning.

I’m gaining such great experience and an all-round view of what working in the construction industry is like, building on everything I learned in my industry placement.

My job role as an estimator meant I calculated how much the overall project costs. Some of the things I do include measuring drawings, sending out cost enquiries to subcontractors and suppliers, and doing cost plans.

What do you love about it?

I’m able to see a project through from start to finish, which I love. What I find really interesting, too, is understanding the different job roles and how they all play a crucial part in a construction project taking place.

What are the challenges?

As someone just starting out, one of the challenges I’ve found is working in a professional environment, it’s all pretty new and different, and understanding processes and ways of working is a skill in itself.

Thankfully, I got a head start acclimatising to this environment due to the industry placement. Another part of conquering that is about confidence, which is a challenge at first, but I’m growing into my role more every day so I know that will come.

How do you combine study with the job?

I spend one day a week at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, Essex. For my course assignments I try to make the most of my evenings after work and sometimes during weekends.

Are women in the minority in construction?

There is a lack of women in construction, and as a woman of faith and colour, I’m aware I’m even more in the minority. Fortunately, at Morgan Sindall, they are trying to encourage young people from different backgrounds into construction – aiming to reach people from primary schools through to college students to show them the opportunities available and inspire them.

Some of that is about showcasing all the different job roles there are in construction, so they can see the pathways beyond bricklayers and electricians.

The company understands I need to pray at different times of the day, and have provided a room in the office for me to do so.

At what point did you stop A-levels?

I swapped after completing my first year. I was really struggling as I wasn’t enjoying it – mainly because I didn’t think the subjects correlated to what I wanted to do in the future. At that time, I had wanted to be a technical architect, so I spoke with my tutor and careers adviser who recommended I do the T-level as that aligned more to what I wanted to do in future.

This combines classroom study with a 45-day industry placement to prepare young people for the world of work, so it felt like a perfect fit to gain the experience I needed for what I actually wanted to do.

How did you choose your subject?

My tutor and careers adviser suggested Design, Surveying and Planning in Construction. I looked into it and could see that it would really help me on my career path, so I applied for the course at City College Norwich.

A big selling point was that I’d gain the practical skills and realworld experience specific to the industry, but without closing myself off to other options if I changed my mind, as a T- Level is equivalent to three A-levels.

What did you enjoy about it?

I really enjoyed the industry placement part. As I said, I had wanted to be a technical architect, but after doing the placement I preferred site management.

As someone who has no construction background or knowledge at all, it was super interesting to see the week-byweek progress of a project.

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My T-level combines class studies with a 45-day industry placement

LEARNING CURVE Fatima is gaining great experience