My story so far: From Open Doors to Osborne
The first time I engaged with Osborne was last year during Open Doors Week at Redbrick Estate with the Association of Somali Engineers (ASE). ASE is a non-profit organisation I am proud to be a member of, and we are working to build a network of young Somali students, graduates and professionals and help get them into the construction industry.
Redbrick Estate was the first Osborne project I had visited, and at the time each block was at different stages and there was a lot of activity on site. What engaged me most though was how enthusiastic and friendly all the project team were. They were all proud of how long they had worked for Osborne and the challenges they had overcome. We were given a fantastic tour and the project team were eager to answer all our questions.
I have always been enthusiastic about buildings and the construction industry whilst studying civil engineering at university and working as a labourer during the summer. Simple things have always intrigued me, such as how fast buildings go up and how so many different types of people came together to get a job done.
Following ASE’s visit to Redbrick Estate, we were invited to Hobhouse Court a few months later. At the time, the steel frame was going up and we were invited to witness dry ice blasting (an innovative technique to remove dirt, paint and grime without producing any waste or damaging the brickwork underneath). We were introduced to the project and briefed on all its complexities. Everyone from the ASE had an excellent time and the day very much solidified my thoughts on construction as an industry with so many obstacles and layers but with the right communication and cooperation, anything is easily overcome.
On the project, we met with the Senior Project Manager who told us all about his journey from working as a youth back in America to now with Osborne. Not only was it interesting to hear them speak about their career and the project, but how passionate they are about the team, their development and how important the different parts they play are in making the project a success.
After Open Doors week and a visit to Hobhouse Court, I approached Osborne about working with them and was delighted to be accepted into the graduate training programme. I am now developing my skills as a Graduate Site Manager on the St Paul’s School Phase II project in Barnes.
In every industry, people tend to always say, “no day is the same”, but with construction, no day really is the same! A project genuinely progresses day-by-day with new challenges and obstacles regularly appearing. Environments like these are where a great deal of learning can be achieved.
by Ahmed Warsama, Graduate Site Manager
