Construction manager reaches top level with CIOB Training Partnership
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Angela Dawson, an employee of CIOB Training Partner, Simons Group Ltd, has achieved NVQ level 5 in Construction Management, becoming one of only nine women in the UK to do so since the award was introduced in 2003.
Angela’s background in construction came when she enrolled on a joinery course whilst waiting for a place at art college. Once qualified, and realising her true calling, she embarked on a career as a self-employed joiner for a number of years.
It was an increasing demand for her to run jobs on site that led Angela to develop her skills a site manager, by first completing the CIOB’s Site Management scheme:
“Whilst working on sites, I found that I was being given more and more responsibility for the day to day running of jobs, but of course there was no recognition for me as the site manager.
“I decided I needed to gain a qualification that would assist me in raising my profile. I noticed the CIOB Site Management scheme was being offered at Lincoln College. I enrolled, and gained my Certificate and Diploma in Site Management, quickly followed by an NVQ4 in Construction Site Management.”
When joining Simons Group Ltd, Angela was able to progress further with the opportunity to take the NVQ5 in Construction Management. As a CIOB Training Partnership, Simons has a number of employees undertaking NVQs across all levels. For Angela, achieving NVQ5 is the culmination of her efforts to develop her skills in the construction industry:
“I decided that this route would be an ideal development tool for me. The qualification is aimed at those who have high level responsibility for construction management on a day-to-day basis.
“My assessor, Ron Gatepain, of Gates MacBain Associates set me challenging objectives ensuring I worked towards completion. The award took me 18 months to complete. During that time it would have been so easy to let things drift, with the day to day pressures of work and home. To stop that happening I set myself very tight timescales and cut off dates.
“My next challenge? To achieve MCIOB”
