Graduate & Placement Programmes · Majority of Graduates who join Kier follow our structured two-year Graduate Development Programme (GDP). Our Finance, IT and HR programmes are the

Graduate &

Placement Programmes

www.kier.co.uk/earlycareers

About Kier Group

Kier is a leading infrastructure, buildings, developments and housing group. We invest, build and maintain across a range of different sectors from education, health, heritage, defence and custodial to highways, rail, aviation, industrial, power and utilities.

It's our driving passion to create spaces and places that generate opportunity and prosperity…

We have a talented team of 21,000 Kier colleagues who work in a wide range of roles across the UK and from our international offices in Australia and the Middle East. We take pride in bringing specialist knowledge, sector-leading experience and fresh thinking to create workable solutions for our clients on a huge range of projects. No challenge is too great or too small, and at any one time we have around 400 projects on site across the country.

Our Structure We are organised into three market leading positions:

Infrastructure Services – Our infrastructure business delivers a range of projects

ranging from highways maintenance to vital infrastructure schemes for the country. With a revenue of c.£2bn, we have the capabilities to work with clients across the utility, power, telecoms, civil engineering, rail and highways sectors, bringing specialist knowledge to each area.

Developments and Housing – Our

Developments and Housing business brings together a wealth of resources and expertise to deliver housing projects alongside a wider development portfolio. With revenue of c.£1bn, the division offers investment, development and asset management across a broad spectrum and has the capability to support every stage of the development cycle.

Buildings – We are the UK’s largest regional builder, with a network of 88 offices across the UK, delivering over

£2b of projects annually to both private and public-sector clients. We provide a comprehensive building, design and facilities management services across all market sectors.

Our Commitment to Community

Engagement & Diversity

Being a responsible corporation is something we take very seriously. Our group of companies plays a significant part in the daily life of millions of people, whether they are our own employees, our clients or the public we serve.

At Kier we are fully committed to delivering industry leading social impact that positively contributes to meeting the needs of the communities and contracts we serve.

The Kier Foundation was set up to support Kier Group employees and the charitable organisations that are close to their hearts. Employee engagement and making a positive impact on society is at the centre of everything we do. Employees are encouraged to support The Kier Foundation and other charitable causes within the workplace. Last year Kier Group invested more than £200,000 in employee time and other costs associated with running and administering The Kier Foundation.

Our Western and Wales team raised £55,000 for charity

Kier work with the DIY SOS team to renovate homes for our veterans

The Kier dragon boat race raised over £40,000 for charity

The Balanced Business Network (BBN) was set up by Kier in 2016 with the understanding that a balanced and diverse business attracts and retains the best people, which is a key part of our organisational growth. The BBN brings together people from all across Kier, with the aim of creating a culture where we celebrate difference, where people can bring their whole selves to work; a culture where we drive change and break down barriers to success - enabling our people to #leavealegacy

Balanced Business Network

We have three core values that are reflected in our culture and our behaviours, and they underpin the way we work at Kier. Collaborative - We collaborate together as colleagues, with our clients, with our supply

chain and our peers because we make the best steps forward in everything from safety to innovation when we work together.

Forward Thinking – Being forward thinking can be as advanced as driving through a

major leap in practice with a new innovation through to day to day advances with creative problem solving.

Enthusiastic – And whatever we do, its done with pride, passion and drive to work

towards a really successful outcome together.

LGBT+ and Allies

The Kier LGBT+ and Allies group was established in 2017 to support LGBT+ employees and LGBT+ family or friends of employees. The network helps Kier to create an inclusive culture and tackle bias - both conscious or unconscious, by doing so we ensure that all employees are able to bring their ‘whole selves’ to work without fear that disclosing their sexual orientation or gender might hinder their career progression.

“Being yourself at work is vital to individual and collective success, we are committed at Kier to building a balanced business that supports each of our employees to be the best they can be. The creation of the LGBT+ and Allies network is a hugely important step in ensuring that we maintain our commitment to creating a workplace based on fairness and respect” Claudio Veritiero, Chief Operating Officer.

Kier work closely with Skills4UK – a leading provider of gender diversity training and coaching programmes, to deliver a 4-day programme aimed at accelerating the progression of our female talent. Each cohort of attendees are sponsored by a senior leader within Kier who provides support and mentorship for those attending the course.

Women in Science and Engineering – Skills4UK

Our Values

Our Programmes

▪ Summer Placements

▪ Industrial Placements

▪ Graduates

We offer Graduate and Placement Programmes across all of Kier in roles including:

• Civil Engineers • Construction Managers • Design Engineers • Design Managers • Finance • HR • IT • Marketing & Communications • Quantity Surveyors ... to name a few

The Kier GDP will give you a combination of:

▪ National Graduate Induction

▪ Industry-leading mentorship and support

▪ Formal technical and commercial learning relevant to the role and project

▪ First line management skills though completion of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) programme

▪ Practical, on the job training within your team of industry experts

▪ Regular assessment and feedback

Kier Graduate Programme

Majority of Graduates who join Kier follow our structured two-year Graduate Development Programme (GDP). Our Finance, IT and HR programmes are the exception—these are all three-year programmes. Over the course of your Graduate Programme you will receive the technical training and personal development needed to excel in your role. We offer unique career progression prospects and the training and development we offer are unparalleled.

▪ Support in progressing your chosen career

▪ The opportunity to work on hugely notable, cutting-edge projects and leave a legacy by developing your practical and theoretical knowledge surrounded by industry experts.

▪ The tools and experience needed to qualify for membership of your chosen professional body

▪ Rotations/secondments to an area of the business that is relevant to your role

▪ The opportunity to be nominated for Kier Awards, including Graduate of the Year and Rising Star!

Sponsored by a Kier Business Leader and to offer further networking opportunities across the wider business we run Graduate Forums in various locations across the country twice a year. Feedback from our graduates on the forums ...

“The director presentation was an inspiring start to the day”

“It opened my mind on Kier and how it could benefit my future”

“Great to meet other graduates across the business and hear what they are up to”

“Having highly experienced Kier Leaders share their career path has influenced me and helped strengthen my own aspirations”

Graduate Forums

Professional Membership

At Kier we are keen to help our people achieve their professional qualification to become chartered members of their chosen profession so long as it is aligned with our business objectives. You will be supported in your day-to-day work by an on-the-job line manager, while an experienced ‘professional body mentor’ will help you develop clear goals, expand your skills and work towards chartership. Workshops, mock interviews and reviews may form part of your chartership support if needed for your professional qualification.

What we look for

Regardless of which programme you apply for, you should:

▪ Be committed to developing a career in the Built Environment

▪ Embody our company values

▪ Be flexible and mobile as travel will be required

▪ Be an enthusiastic and proactive team player

▪ Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills

▪ Be great at building relationships

Our Summer and Industrial Placement Programmes are where you get a real opportunity to work in our business with the support and guidance from experienced members of the team. Everything you are learning in university will really take shape as you gain on-site and office experience. You’ll be working on real projects with real responsibilities, build valuable industry contacts and gain project knowledge that will support you in your studies.

Both our Summer and Industrial Placement Programmes are a pipeline to our Graduate Programme. For those that do well on their programme we will want to bring you back the following year to either join us as a Graduate or on another placement programme (pending on where you are in your studies).

What we look for To apply for our Industrial Placement Programmes, you must be currently working towards a sandwich degree course which supports students completing a 12-month Industrial Placement Programme and be on track to achieve a 2.1.

To be eligible for our Summer Placement Programmes you need to be working towards your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and be on track to achieve a 2.1.

Regardless of which programme you apply for, you should:

▪ Have an interest in the Built Environment

▪ Embody our company values

▪ Be an enthusiastic and flexible team player

▪ Work proactively

▪ Be keen to seek out opportunities

▪ Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Summer and Industrial Placement Programmes

Meet Our People

When my parents bought and renovated a Grade II listed manor house in the 90s, my passion for construction began. I took an Architectural Engineering and Design Management Course at Loughborough University and joined Kier for a 12-month placement. I went on to achieve a 1st class Honours degree and in 2011 came to Kier as an Assistant Design Manager to work on 5 Pancras Square at Kings Cross for Kier London. In 2013 I was promoted to Design Manager. At Kier I'm constantly driven to provide best value to the client through good quality design, and through a conscientious and methodical approach towards work.

Tom - Construction Manager When I began to explore careers I was sure I wanted to work at the 'coal face' so chose the Construction Management route at university, rather than Engineering. Kier offered me sponsorship and full work experience through my years at Loughborough University.

My first placement opportunity was on the Kings Cross project, where I managed a number of subcontractors from various trades. I learned the value of teamwork, negotiating skills, and the relationship between decisions and repercussions.

Following my final year at University, I re-joined Kier and have been lucky enough to work on the Cross Rail project. The project has allowed me to excel in all aspects of management and technical competence. The project I'm working at the moment means that the

face of London infrastructure will change forever and improve the lives of many. I'm proud to be part of this project and continually strive to ensure that not only my work, but also those who work with me, reach the highest possible standards. The role lends itself to working collaboratively as I have to manage the movements from all works created, and this means I'm continually able to apply my people skills to ensure effective communication and outcomes. My enthusiasm for the role and the determination to deliver, for both the client and Kier, led to me achieving my Chartership a year earlier than expected.

Laura - Design Manager

Construction projects shape the wider community we work in. To offset the impact of our construction activities while on 5 Pancras Square, I co-founded the Corporate Responsibility committee for Kier at Kings Cross. The committee was influential in arranging a number of events to actively engage with the community, and I was recognised with an award at the Kier Construction Major Projects staff gathering.

I studied Civil Engineering at the University of Liverpool and took a Summer Placement at Kier Northern, in the design and build department, where I shadowed a Structural Design Manager. The following Summer Placement was on site working with a site engineer in Bolton. After graduating with a masters I willingly accepted a permanent position with Kier.

Starting as a Graduate Site Engineer on a £24 million school academy in Ellesmere Port, I worked alongside the Senior Site Engineer, assistant managing the external works package. My supervisor was a great mentor and within nine months I was able to personally manage sections of the build, including furniture, fixtures and equipment package.

Ryan - Civil Engineer

I graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2014 with a BSc Hons in Quantity Surveying. I accepted Kier’s offer to join the Graduate Programme because I could see that the company was growing and that there were lots of opportunities to take my career in different directions. In fact, what I appreciate most about Kier is the opportunities you have to get involved with a range of things outside of your core responsibilities. My core role is to be responsible for the commercial aspects of different construction projects worked on in the Aberdeen office. One of my current projects is the Aberdeen Music Hall, which will involve demolition and excavation work and the restoration of original features at the concert hall. I work on a number of projects simultaneously and I split my time between working in the office and visiting construction

sites. On smaller projects, I’m the only Quantity Surveyor but on larger ones I work in a team of two or three. As a contrast, I visited Crossrail for three days to work with their commercial team – they work in teams of hundreds. Even now, I ask lots of questions and I’d advise you to do the same when starting out. If you understand the different perspectives and responsibilities of other professionals, it helps you to give them the information they need and to build better relationships. Plus, people respect you more for saying you don’t know rather than pretending.

Ashley - Quantity Surveyor

As part of my professional development towards Chartership, I asked to work in a design office. Kier Professional Services have a department in the Speke Office and so a six-month secondment was arranged for me to work for as an assistant temporary works Design Engineer. I'm aiming to become a good 'all-rounder', with skills from the numerous fields of the construction industry. I really enjoy the collaborative nature of working in various teams, and being called on to engage diplomacy when necessary. I also enjoy helping others to develop their careers, assisting with college work, and mentoring younger colleagues and apprentices.

With my dad a chartered civil engineer and grandad clerk of works turned building surveyor, I spent early years listening to stories of how building sites used to be. I enjoyed being shown their previous projects when out and about and knew I wanted to join the construction industry. I laboured on building sites during college holidays and settled on Quantity Surveying as my chosen construction profession. The Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying course at Loughborough University, sponsored by Kier, suited me best – I could see myself fitting well within the team.

I completed a Summer Placement with Kier Southern, refurbishing a Grade II listed mansion in Ascot and returned to the project a year later for my Placement Year, as the team had been awarded additional work on the estate. This was most enjoyable and I really benefited in terms of real world knowledge of the industry and the profession. I returned as a Graduate and spent almost two years with Kier Construction Major Projects on HMP Featherstone 2. I feel privileged to have been involved with such a large, well-managed project, and was guided by a number of experienced colleagues. I continue to enjoy my chosen profession and am proud to work for Kier, a company held within the industry with such high regard as being fair, honest and consistently delivering customer satisfaction in a safe manner. I look forward to the day I can walk my children around and show them what I have helped build!

Scott - Quantity Surveyor

In 2016 I graduated from City, University of London after having obtained an Honours Degree in Psychology. Upon completion of my degree, I joined the HR Graduate Programme with Kier wherein which I will spend three years rotating between two placements. My first rotation is the Business Placement at Kier Construction Southern in Aylesford. I am currently one year into my Business Placement and I have gained a vast amount of experience and have been able to deal with many HR matters first hand. My Line Manager has given me the opportunity to not only learn but to also implement what I hope to be doing for many years to come. As part of my graduate programme I have also started my Master’s degree in Human Resources Management which has helped embed

everything I’m learning throughout my placements. I believe I have integrated very well in not only my team at Kier Construction Southern, but also the wider Kier HR community.

Labuda - HR Graduate

What more do you

need to know?

What type of degree do I need?

Typically you will need a professionally accredited degree in such disciplines as engineering, design, quantity surveying or construction management or as specified by the vacancy. For example some roles can accommodate those with a non-construction related degree e.g. business management, finance, psychology and HR related degrees.

I want to work in a construction role but

haven’t studied a construction related

degree ?

We also offer conversion Construction Management and Quantity Surveying MSc programmes for those with a 2:1 degree or higher wishing to pursue a career in construction with degrees such as mathematics, science and business subjects.

What is the deadline for applications?

We recruit on a rolling basis, which means that all applications are processed on a first come, first served basis until we’ve completed hiring for the programme. Therefore, as we don’t have deadlines, the earlier you apply, the greater chance you have of being successful.

Can I apply to more than one of the

programmes in the same academic year?

Although we’re delighted that you would like to pursue numerous opportunities to work with Kier, the programmes we offer present very different opportunities, therefore it is unlikely that more than one will fit your career preferences. We would encourage you to identify which is the most suitable programme for you and apply only to that one. We can only accept one application per person at any point in the academic year.

Do I need to have any work experience?

No relevant work experience is required to be eligible for our programmes. We will provide candidates with the relevant training and support to be successful on the programme.

How many Graduates will you recruit?

While we have targets for each programme, it’s more about finding the best candidates. Should we find more outstanding candidates than what we were initially aiming for, it is likely we would be able to offer more than our target number since the business is growing rapidly.

How long will it take for my application

to be processed?

We receive a lot of applications and we review all of them, so it can take a little time as we want to give every application the attention it deserves. We aim to provide you with an outcome within 3 months of your application being submitted.

What is the Recruitment process?

Apply for the role

Application

shortlisted

Assessment

centre

Offer

Online

assessments

Assessment centres are held from January; these involve a panel interview, presentation and team activities

Applications should be made via our website with your CV www.kier.co.uk/earlycareers

All suitable candidates will be placed on a shortlist, unsuccessful candidates will be notified

Candidates may be requested to complete verbal and numerical online tests and a video/phone interview

Verbal offer will be initially made with a written contract sent out thereafter

Start Programme

Where will I be working?

For the majority of our programmes you will be based in one of our project sites or offices within England, however we do have projects and offices in other parts of the UK and further afield. Although you may be based in a particular location you will be required to travel to meet the needs of the business. Please note we cannot guarantee any rotations will be in the same city as your starting location.

Who should I address my cover letter to?

Although our application system gives you an option to upload a cover letter, it is not a requirement! As we ask for your motivations and knowledge of the company/programme on the application form. And we can see your experience on your CV, we get all the information we need from here, so no need to worry about writing a cover letter.

Head Office

Tempsford Hall

Sandy

Bedfordshire

SG19 2BD

T: 01767 355000

E: [email protected]