I work fulltime onsite at the Hampshire depot as a Dewatering Bay Operative for FM Conway. My favourite part of the work is driving the telehandler, which FM Conway supported me in getting licensed to drive and I have since learned all the skills to ensure the safe running of the vehicle. I tend to start my day at 6am tipping out trucks to get them ready for the day ahead – we send them out empty (or as close to as we can) so that they can spend a full day out and work efficiently. Once the trucks head out, I move into the office and complete the admin-side of my job: processing tip tickets, inputting waste amounts into our database, filing them, and logging the drivers’ hours, ensuring that they are up to date. I get on well with my manager, and he trusts me to take the initiative with my work and to help him out whenever he needs it. I then head back out to the yard to assist with loading the silt (a material we tip out of the other trucks) into a new truck to be taken away – we ensure that the depot is constantly running so that we don’t have to turn anyone away and to do this we must keep clearing out the silt and water. My job is really varied and exciting, I get to drive the Telehandler, support my team, and get hands-on in the yard in different ways every day.
I have always loved driving and got my HGV licence years ago, but I didn’t work in the construction industry before I joined FM Conway. I initially planned for this work to be a stopgap, but after driving an FM Conway gully truck for five months through an agency, I was offered a permanent role. A month into that, I was promoted to foreman of the yard – I stayed because the work was exciting and new, and I enjoyed the responsibility I was offered early on. I spent two years as foreman which I really enjoyed; I was a bit nervous about being a female foreman in such a predominantly male environment, but in treating the team how I wanted to be treated they respected me, and we worked well together. I have since changed roles from foreman to working on the dewatering bay side of operations, but I have worked at the Hampshire high tip since it opened a couple of years ago, and it has been inspiring watching our operation grow from completing 30 tips a month to over 150 last month.
Construction is a traditionally male based industry; however, I have always felt that I am a part of the team, respected, and an equal when I am on site. In the Hampshire depot we have two women who work in the office and two of us who work on the operations side – me and a night driver. We are a minority, but the narrative of the company filters down across the teams, and there is a clear strategy to support their current female workforce whilst bringing more women into the business, which I think is a great idea – to increase diversity in the workplace introduces different mindsets and skillsets and improves the run of work.
FM Conway has offered me lots of different opportunities to train in new areas and progress in my role which I have taken advantage of wherever possible! I have completed the Site Supervisors' Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS), first aid and mental health first aid training. I will also soon be completing my Level 1 CIWM (WAMITAB) qualification which is a regulated certification for the waste, resource management, and cleaning sectors, and look forward to completing further levels in the future. I am always keen to develop my skills and learn new ones, and FM Conway have supported me significantly.
I am only one of a few operatives in Hampshire who have been here since the opening of our high tip, so I have been able to build great connections with people who I have dealt with inside and outside of the company. I feel relied on and trusted by management and am always supported rather than pushed to succeed and grow in my role. The company listen to me when I make suggestions, for example I am a member of the Female Forum at FM Conway, and I suggested that they introduce vest tops in the operative uniforms for women. They since have and I feel so much more comfortable in a vest top than a t-shirt because they keep me cooler while performing my role. I did go through a stage where I became disheartened with the work as it was getting a bit repetitive and I wasn’t getting the same satisfaction I used to get, so my manager spoke to me about what I needed from work and has since offered me the opportunity to take on extra responsibilities and tasks at work. I am now always busy and, on the move and once again enjoying my role.
As a member of the engagement group at FM Conway, every three months I head over to head office to discuss the company with other colleagues from all different departments and jobs. We bring up any challenges we have faced and any ideas we have to improve our work or the company as a whole and discuss them together. I feel like I am an important part of the FM Conway family: listened to and respected by my peers and management, thanks to this group.
No day is the same working in construction, I have been offered so many different opportunities to develop my career, and I feel respected here – plus I get to do what I love every day which is drive the telehandler and assist my team!
This Careers in Construction Month, hear from Hannah Purnell, one of the Talent Managers in our Learning and Development Team, as she talks about her role, the opportunities available at FM Conway, and why apprenticeships are a great first step into the industry.
This Careers in Construction Month hear from our Apprentice Assistant Specialist Surfacing Coordinator, Libby, about her choice to leave school at 16 and find her place in the construction industry.
This Careers in Construction Month we spoke to Kelly Hills, Recruitment Manager at FM Conway, about the development in the industry and the growth to build a more inclusive diverse workforce.