Sheriff Construction’s office team has had the pleasure of welcoming two young people on work experience placements within the last month – one from a local school and another from a further education college.
In both cases, the experience was mutually beneficial – offering the students a real taste of a working office environment, while providing Sheriff with a fresh perspective on its processes. Read our blog to find out more about this win-win situation.
How work placements help young people
Work placements give students a genuine glimpse into working life – far beyond what textbooks and classrooms can offer. They help them:
- Apply theory to real tasks like placing orders or processing invoices – building their confidence and competence.
- Develop essential soft skills like teamwork, communication, time management and workplace etiquette.
- Improve employability: work placements are highly regarded by employers, thereby making CVs more competitive and supporting better job prospects.
- Explore career paths and make informed decisions about their future roles, reducing the risk of ending up in unsuitable careers.
Why work placements matter for businesses like Sheriff Construction
Bringing in students on a short-term placement offers lots of benefits for businesses, for example:
- Introducing fresh ideas and a new energy into daily routines – encouraging innovation, adaptability and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Strengthening the talent pipeline: placements act as low‑risk recruitment tools, enabling early identification and nurturing of future apprentices and employees.
- Boosting staff morale and contributing to team development, as mentoring placements enhances employees’ leadership and learning skills.
- Enhancing local reputation and community ties, reinforcing the company’s social responsibility credentials and employer brand.
Welcome additions to our team
At Sheriff Construction, we believe that, as we’ve grown in size, it is our responsibility to contribute to social, economic and environmental wellbeing in society. As part of this, one of our key social value practices is to offer opportunities for young people to assume Apprenticeships and work experience placements with us.
Recently, that led to Gladiola (a school student) and Ali (a college student) joining Sheriff Construction’s office team temporarily. In both cases, they were given the opportunity to spend time with each department and gain a broader understanding of the roles that keep a construction company running.
Jumping right into the daily business at Sheriff, they were given firsthand experience in several key areas, including:
- Placing orders
- Processing subcontractors’ timesheets
- Making price comparisons
- Managing stock control
- Preparing purchase invoices
- Software administration
- Creating site folders
Impressed by the ease in which both Gladiola and Ali fitted into the team and performed their allocated tasks, both have been told that they are more than welcome to come back if there were any areas they would like to specialise in going forward.
In previous years, Sheriff Construction has welcomed other young people on work experience, for instance bringing in students, Lamanda and Luca, for school holiday placements. Both went on to become QS Apprentices at Sheriff Construction, with Lamanda recently being promoted to Assistant QS.
A genuine win‑win
Sheriff Construction’s work placements exemplify a true win‑win: young learners gain confidence, practical skills and clarity about their future, while the company strengthens its team, nurtures future talent and reinforces its contribution to the local community.
As a growing enterprise, we’re committed to offering more of these meaningful opportunities but we must balance capacity carefully. We’re not yet a large enough company to host many juniors at once, so each placement has to be chosen thoughtfully to ensure we provide real value for both the student and the team.
With this in mind, we are open to collaborating with local schools, colleges and students and would be happy to discuss placements or apprenticeships where we feel we can make a genuine impact. Contact our office team on info@sheriffconstruction.co.uk.
15.07.2025
Feature image: Freepik
(Image is not representative of anyone mentioned in this article)
