Nicho*, 28, emigrated to the UK as a qualified engineer with the hope of continuing his work in construction. However, he quickly met a major barrier preventing him from gaining work as his qualifications were not recognised by the UK construction industry.

After nine months of searching and numerous rejections, Nicho managed to gain temporary agency work in vehicle marshalling. However, his self-confidence had taken a knock and, while he enjoyed the role, he needed a more stable income. In an unfamiliar country with no industry contacts or family to support him, he was at a loss as to what to do next. In desperation, he contacted his local council, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, who swiftly directed him towards us for support.

Once enrolled onto our Building Opportunities programme, Nicho was able to rebuild his confidence through employability-boosting workshops including mock interviews, CV masterclasses and 1-2-1 coaching sessions. Once he began to feel work-ready, we connected him to first-hand experiences with a tour of a live construction site where he met a range of impressive role models from sustainability engineers to site managers. This helped him rediscover his love of being on site, reaffirm belief in his own abilities and gain contacts in the industry.

With renewed confidence, Nicho worked with his coach to find permanent employment in the industry. Having previously enjoyed his temporary agency role, when his coach heard of a permanent traffic marshalling job with a leading UK contractor it was the perfect match!

Nicho submitted the CV he’d created with his coach and was invited to interview. Now feeling more confident in his strengths and abilities, he excelled and was offered the role. He is overjoyed to have found a permanent position in the industry – and to be gaining new skills and experience!

*Name changed to protect anonymity