Rhea Keyes

Rhea Keyes joined Murraywood Construction in September 2019 and started her Business Administration NVQ L3 Apprenticeship in January 2019.

She worked hard to complete this phase of further education, especially given she had to finish her qualification during the Covid-19 pandemic meaning she was given less face-to-face time with her tutors, had to adapt to a change of tutor and was furloughed – but still she battled through with a positive attitude.

Rhea used this time very wisely and was proactive in her learning as she took advantage of online learning resources to further her education and improve on her skills.

As a result, Rhea was awarded her NVQ with distinctions in every category which included project, portfolio and knowledge. She continues to be a very valuable member of the workforce here at Murraywood.

“During my time as an apprentice at Murraywood I have had the opportunity to further my learning while learning on the job, this was an amazing opportunity as it gave me a proper insight as to what the job entails. I worked with most members of a staff due to my course being so broad I had parts to do with every department, they where all helpful and furthered my learning even more. It has been a great experience and I hope to do more in the future.”

Nick Bradley

Nick Bradley came to the company in December 2020 after we approached Procure Plus looking to offer work placements on a Manchester City Centre project as part of our social values commitments. We were subsequently introduced to Nick who had been made redundant and although he was helping out with a relative’s business at the time, he wanted something more stable and structured.

After a very successful two-week work placement in December 2020, he was recruited as a Groundwork Apprentice in January 2021. He then undertook his EPA in September 2022 to complete his qualification at Salford College and is now still a valued member of the Murraywood team.

In addition to working on his apprenticeship, Nick has also taken on other opportunities including the roller and dumper course highlighting the proactive and hardworking attitude he’s displayed since day one.

Thomas McBain

Thomas McBain was working at the Lime Street project for another company before he joined Murraywood Construction in 2017.  Since joining Murraywood, and with the guidance and mentorship colleagues, has completed a HNC and Class 1 BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University.

Murraywood have supported Thomas by mentoring him through his HNC and his degree and he now has a much wider understanding of Civil Engineering. Working as an apprentice gives Thomas valuable experiences he wouldn’t have been able to get from a classroom alone. Working with both groundworkers and managers has allowed him to fortify his engineering skills and knowledge to enable him to confidently work with main contractors and their engineers.

Thomas is due to finish his apprenticeship with the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) within the year, along with undertaking an NVQ Lvl 6 in Construction Site Management.  He is excited for what the future holds in an industry which is constantly changing and offering up challenges. Additional to his academic studies, he has taken advantage of learning a variety of additional skills, including CSkills SMSTS, MHFA and NEBOSH qualifications, all of which are part of his off-the-job training.

“Murraywood have been encouraging in my studies and have mentored me through all my qualifications (HNC, Degree, NEBOSH, and NVQ). Working in an industry that is constantly changing and challenging me is exciting, and I am eager to see what the future holds.”