In today’s fast-paced construction industry, providing secure, meaningful and progressive employment is more important than ever. Skills shortages, new regulations and evolving technologies mean companies must invest in people if they want to thrive.
At Sheriff Construction, Sheriff Brickworks and our other sister companies, we believe that offering high-quality jobs goes hand in hand with continuous training and personal development – because when people are supported to grow, businesses do so too. Read on to find out how we’re putting this into practice across our sites and office teams.
Our approach to staff development
At Sheriff Construction, we begin by creating meaningful, challenging and rewarding employment opportunities within the communities where we work. From this strong starting point, we then actively promote training and personal development – ensuring our people gain the skills and qualifications they need to become confident, capable and highly employable members of the local job market.
This includes everything from essential basic skills and mandatory safety qualifications, through to learning that is tailored to individual roles such as advanced technical training around roofing installations, software competency training and leadership development. Whether someone joins us as a trainee, an apprentice, a labourer or an experienced professional, our aim is to support every person in moving forward.
How we put this into practice
Here are just some of the ways we have embedded training, learning and professional development throughout our companies:
On-site teams
- Regular technical training on specific roofing product installations, brickwork and associated construction techniques
- Ongoing refresher training to maintain high standards of safety and quality workmanship
- Building Safety Regulations training for all relevant staff
- New Fire Safety training rolled out across the company
- Supporting on-site workers to upskill – all our team members now hold minimum Level 2 CSCS cards, with some progressing to Gold or Black CSCS levels
- Maintaining a comprehensive Training Matrix to track qualifications for both staff and subcontractors, ensuring re-training is arranged before any expiration dates
- Mentoring for junior site staff, including school leavers who start as labourers and progress into trades such as bricklaying
Office and leadership team
- All our Contract Managers have achieved Level 7 Leaders in Construction
- Professional coaching offered to the Senior Leadership Team
- Our Senior Quantity Surveyor is currently completing a Construction Management course to expand the scope of their role/ future career
- Supported a member of our team to become NEBOSH-qualified so as to provide in-house health and safety expertise
- Structured mentoring provided for junior office staff, helping them build confidence, learn new skills and take on greater responsibility
- Fire Safety training delivered to office teams to ensure awareness and to support quality assessments of supply chain partners
- Providing an in-house library of useful books, manuals and resources to encourage everyday learning
- Giving access to digital learning tools such as the Supply Chain Sustainability School
Supporting the whole person, not just the job role
Professional development is just one part of building a strong, capable team. We also recognise the importance of supporting our people with wider wellbeing, mental health awareness and everyday life skills that help them thrive both at work and at home.
We actively foster wellbeing within our organisation through a variety of initiatives. For example, in our office, staff have easy access to information on mental health and stress management, ensuring resources are always available when needed. Some team members have also participated in suicide prevention training, equipping them with vital skills to support colleagues during challenging times.
We hold regular Toolbox Talks that emphasise health, wellbeing and the importance of recognising the early signs of issues where support might be required. Additionally, our website features an ever-expanding collection of blogs that are designed to raise awareness and encourage open conversations about mental health and personal resilience.
By supporting the whole person, we help build resilience, confidence and a workplace culture where people feel genuinely supported.
Final word
At Sheriff Construction, our commitment to development goes beyond qualifications and technical skills. We believe that professional growth and personal wellbeing are equally important – and that both make a lasting impact on how people perform, feel and succeed in their working and personal lives.
We’re proud of the progress our teams are making, and we’ll continue investing in the people who make Sheriff Construction and our sister companies great places to work, grow and prosper.
Get involved
Is your team doing something innovative around staff development or wellbeing that we haven’t mentioned here? Or is there something you’d like to see Sheriff Construction introduce in the New Year?
We’d love to hear your ideas so let us know by commenting on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
09.04.2025
Feature image: Freepik
