Summer Placement
This summer, our team at Flynn Interiors was thrilled to welcome three talented summer placements – James, Ed and Cameron. This opportunity allowed them to gain firsthand experience of the construction industry. Throughout their time with us they were able to learn from our different members of our team and each of them brought a fresh perspective and a willingness to learn. As we close out the summer period, we wanted to share some details on each individual including their insights that they gained during their time at Flynn Interiors.
James
James has just finished up his second year at the University of York, where he is currently studying Business and Management. James’ placement took place at our large Data Centre project in Essex, where we are responsible for the partitions, ceilings and full fit out works. When asked why he choose business and management he explained “It is a great course because it is quite interactive, so you are always doing things out in the real world”. He shares that the placement has given him a new perspective on his course, and he is excited to apply what he has learnt to his next year at university.
During his placement, James worked closely with the site team, including Project Manager, Alasdair, and Commercial Manager, Daniel. He was supporting the team in day-to-day activities with a focus on the commercial aspect of a project and commented that “I’m really keen to be in a management role when I’m older, seeing the management side of construction firsthand everyday has made me really interested in this industry”.
When his placement finished, James reflected on his time at Flynn Interiors. He said he feels ready to apply what he has learned when he returns to university stating,
“I have a greater understanding of the industry, and the skills I’ve learned will hopefully be applicable to my degree as well, I’m definitely inspired to explore future projects in the construction industry at university.”
Ed
Our second placement, Ed, had just finished his GCSE’s and has since moved onto his A-Levels. Ed was curious to find out what the construction had to offer and therefore applied for a summer placement with Flynn Interiors. Ed spent his placement at the UCB Project Apple site in Windlesham, working alongside Quantity Surveyor, Finn and Project Manager, Andrius.
The project is a pharmaceuticals research facility on behalf of our client Walter Lilly, where our works include partitions, ceilings, soffit insulation with a tape & joint finish. The variety of work gave Ed broad exposure, and he was happy to be “getting a taste of it all”.
Ed continued by telling us that his favourite part of the placement was “measuring up drawing plans digitally for example plywood and then going on site and seeing the fixers installing the ply”
Additionally, Ed reflected that the placement has helped him to build his confidence, saying
“I’ve been able to talk better with people because you meet a lot of new people and attending meetings has given me a better idea on how to behave in a professional environment”.
Finally, Ed shared that he now has “a taste for management” and that the support from the team was invaluable, he felt inspired by “seeing the management side of the construction industry firsthand” and he was grateful that the FIL team were always willing to spend the time with him and share their experience.
Cameron
Our final placement, Cameron, had just finished his A-Levels in Maths, Economics and Business Studies when he applied for the summer role. Based on our Central London project, 29 Marylebone Road, Cameron was exposed to partitions, suspended ceilings, SFS, plastering and acoustic panels.
With our client Morgan Sindall, the new creative area will provide a dynamic setting for students attending the University of Westminster. Alongside Quantity Surveyor, Myles and Project Manager, Ross, Cameron has been able to gain firsthand experience of the construction industry that allowed him to have a “much deeper understanding of how sites operate and how much planning and communication there is between different companies to get the project completed.”
Cameron’s most memorable experience was his first time on the Marylebone Road site – he said, “I walked around with Ross for a few hours, watching him go around the site and at the time it was almost overwhelming how hectic it was”.
Concluding, Cameron believes that the placement will provide a significant advantage in the future,
“I think this experience is good for me as it could potentially help me get an apprenticeship in surveying if I pursue that career path as there won’t be many people who can say that they have spent 6 weeks shadowing a quantity surveyor”.
He added that the experience has given him an insight into seeing if joining the construction industry is something he can “see myself doing in the future”.
As James, Ed and Cameron have now finished their summer placements, it’s clear they are leaving with more than just new skills, they are leaving with a clearer vision for their futures. Each of their journeys highlights how hands-on experience helps in applying knowledge in real life scenarios. Their time at Flynn Interiors has not only given them valuable insight into the daily operations of the construction industry and the collaborative effort behind large-scale projects but it has also brought fresh perspectives to our team. Welcoming early career individuals through summer placements helps us grow, challenging our managers to mentor, reflect and adapt while offering us a window into how the next generation views careers in construction.
We are incredibly proud of their progress and excited to see what they go on to achieve.