"Collaborating with different teams opened my eyes about the different roles available within the transportation and construction industry"

Our TKJV contract teamed up once again with Transport for London to host a set of placements as part of its Women in Transport and Engineering (WiTnE) programme – which encourages women to consider careers in the transport and construction industries through training and work experience.??

This year, we took three people through the 2-week placement, where they shadowed a wide range of roles – from on-the-ground operations, through to quantity surveying, design, central services and more.?

Following the placements, participants have the chance to be interviewed – which in this case, resulted in Vivian Orogun securing a full-time position with us as a Network Control Centre Operator, which started last month.?

Here is Vivian’s story. Vivian, who was keen to learn what the sector had to offer, shares her experience of this pre-employment programme - and what it was like working with our London Blackwall team.?

When I was young, my dream role was to become a HR manager - but I went into retail management.??

I loved it and stayed with the company for about 14 years, and during that time I did many roles. Everything from team leader to training manager.?

I wanted to restart my career but didn’t want to return to retail management, so I decided to explore getting into the technology, transportation or construction industry - without having to return to university.?

I knew that I wanted to join a company with a good record of developing its people within. I was then introduced to this placement through the Women into Transportation and Engineering (WiTnE) programme organised by Transport for London.?

I did my placement with the London Control Centre Team at Blackwall which I really enjoyed. It involved processing live defects and allocating them to the relevant teams to carry out the repairs.??

I was given an induction and laptop to work with from day one, which made me confident that I had the tools I needed to get value from this placement.??

My key highlight was getting to meet my potential teammates and hearing them share their experiences. Many of whom spoke about the company’s effort to train and develop them, as well as the benefits they receive and how they have a good work life balance.?

Collaborating with different teams opened my eyes about the different roles available within the transportation and construction industry.??

I also received a lot of great advice from the team here at Blackwall. In conversation with Lina?- who also joined the team as a Workflow Coordinator after taking part in the WiTnE programme in 2022? - she told me about her personal and career development since joining TKJV, and how they invest in their people.?

If I were to give any advice to someone considering a similar placement it would be to go for it, this has been a wonderful experience. Such experiences could lead you to a worthwhile career.?

On this programme, not only have I had the chance to use the skills I had gained in the past, but I have acquired new skills and I am confident that this is just the beginning.??

?We’re pleased to learn about Vivian’s positive experience as part of this fantastic scheme, and can’t wait to see what she achieves in the future. Welcome aboard, Vivian!??

Interested in what our industry has to offer? Check out some of our latest vacancies at careers.kier.co.uk