Work Experience Student joins Osborne

Eastleigh College student Rhys joined the Osborne team on the busy Andover Road site Winchester for a week of work experience.  Not held back by the challenge of Autism and Asperger’s syndrome, Rhys got fully involved; meeting new people, trying out a variety of trades and making new friends.

Osborne first got to know Rhys when he was a pupil at Osborne school, where he and other pupils help build a plastic bottle green house from 1500 plastic bottles, two years on and now at college he joined the Osborne Property Services team for a week, helping to carry out responsive repairs in and around Winchester.

This year Rhys was given the opportunity to experience working on a construction site.

Before his start day, Rhys and Dad Kevin, met with Project Manager Mike Teasdale at site for tea and a chat to ensure Rhys was happy with the team’s plan for him to experience a different trade each day.

Trainee Site Manager, Leire Saavedra Rodriguez and Assistant Site Manager Ben Shaw welcomed Rhys to site, taking him through all site safety procedures, including his fingerprint for his electronic site ID.

Leire and Ben ensured that Rhys was familiar with the site then set him to work with a first day working with the dry lining team…  Apparently he returned home ‘tired and tea’d out’.

Throughout the rest of week Rhys was kept busy, not only experiencing ‘on the tools’ (carpentry being his favourite), he also joined the site progress/planning meeting, guided by QS Jim Dudley.

Mike and the team wanted to thank Rhys for his commitment, dedication and hard work with a small presentation with a very proud Mum and Dad looking on. Mike presented Rhys with his completion certificate and an Osborne rucksack filled with Osborne and supply chain supporters goodies. Mike handed a chuffed Rhys a blue hard hat plus other PPE for a home garden project he told Mike about and for the site pallets Rhys utilised and was going to up-cycle.

The team also presented Mum with a bunch of flowers for being ‘taxi driver’ for the week, she said that she was obviously a little nervous at first, but after meeting Mike and the team on Rhys first day, she knew her son would be ok.

Rhys will join the OPSL team next week, he is looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back to work. Rhys said: “I have had a good two weeks and it has been an eye opener for me and I have a clearer idea of which way I am going to go for as a career.”

We wish Rhys every success with all his future endeavours.