Six CIOB members are among the finalists shortlisted for this year’s Duke of Gloucester Young Achievers Scheme.
The industry-sponsored scheme, set up by the Construction Youth Trust charity, is now in its second year. The awards celebrate exceptional young professionals working in construction, particularly those who have overcome barriers or shown out-of-the-ordinary resilience and determination.
Four category winners will be selected from a shortlist of 30, covering architecture, engineering, project management, and surveying, plus there will also be an overall winner. The Young Achievers will be announced by the Trust’s Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester at an awards dinner held on 13 March.
Paul Ebbs is on the shortlist
This year’s finalists include 23-year-old Paul Ebbs ICIOB, who in just seven years since entering the industry aged 16 has completed a BTEC in construction, an NVQ3 in construction contracting, a degree in construction management and is now site managing his first project for Barratt David Wilson, the £30m Monksbrook housing regeneration development in Eastleigh.
Ebbs also mentors three apprentices and helps provide work experience for students from a local college who are interesting in entering construction management.
Also shortlisted is 20-year-old student member Daniel Connor, whose ability with BIM software is helping him to achieve top grades on his degree course in Architectural Design and Technology at the University of Salford.
Connor, a junior architectural technician with AFL Architects, is now pioneering the use of Autodesk Revit software at the firm. “The company’s just moving into the use of BIM, so my skills have proved really useful,” he said
Daniel Connor: BIM expert
Other finalists include Barry Jones MCIOB, a site manager at BAM Construction, Chris Carragher MCIOB, assistant project manager at Lend Lease, Daniel Lister MCIOB, design manager at Miller Construction and Kevin Gosney MCIOB, assistant project manager at Lend Lease.
Each of the candidates will now take part in a rigorous judging process and must prepare a presentation to key industry executives. The category winners will each receive a package of support from the Trust to include a one-year mentoring programme designed to improve their future career prospects, and the overall winner will also receive an iPad.
The awards are being sponsored by Byrne Group, CITB-ConstructionSkills, Aecom, John Rowan and Partners, KPMG, the Construction Industry Council and the Association of Consultant Architects.
Read about Brendan Cusick, last year’s overall winner
