Work experience at Risby

When it came to finding a work experience placement, 15-year-old Calum from Howden School knew he wanted to work in construction. However, when he wasn’t sure which part of the industry he wanted to progress in, he got in touch with the team here at Risby to help him find out!

We asked Calum how he found his week on site at our Shepherd’s Rest development in Beverley.

So Calum, what did you get up to during your work experience?

I got to try out a range of different tasks during my week at Risby. I got to try my hand at different plastering techniques, including patching and applying pre-plaster to plasterboard.

I also had the chance to lay bricks and blocks on site, as well as carry out a number of general labour jobs.

How did you find working with the team at Risby?

The team were really helpful and friendly, and I found it a really good experience.

How does working at Risby compare to going to school?

There were a lot of early starts, and with the longer hours and physical jobs I definitely slept well!

The uniform was also quite different. There was a lot of PPE I needed to wear to work on site. Everyone wore gloves, hard hats, steel toe cap boots and high vis vests. Plus, there were extra restrictions in place for covid.

What did you learn whilst working with the team?

I learnt all about how a construction team works together, and how every job connects together. Working as a team makes things run smoothly and helps progress the site.

What was your favourite part of working with Risby?

I really enjoyed bricklaying, pointing up the bricks on the houses.

Did work experience help you decide what you want to do in the future?

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the construction industry. Now I have experience working on a site, it’s confirmed that I want to be a bricklayer just like my dad and uncle.

Would you recommend work experience with Risby to other students?

Definitely. It was a really good experience.