Student life on campus – Work placement brings job for Bukola
As a school pupil from Igbotako in Ondo-State, Nigeria, Bukola Adeoye never thought that one day she would help build a brand new community school in the heart of rural Scotland.
But that is where the busy student and mother of two finds herself and she is loving every minute of it. In the second year of her degree in construction management at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Bukola is spending two days a week work on site at the £55 million Inverurie Community Campus in Aberdeenshire.
The new complex is being delivered by public-private partnership developer hub North Scotland on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council and will replace the current Inverurie Academy, community centre and swimming pool.
As part of the works, the main contractor, Robertson Construction, has pledged to deliver a number of community benefits during the project and providing work experience to school pupils and students is included in those key achievements along with apprenticeship opportunities.
Bukola has seized her chance with both hands – first as a work experience student and now with a part-time job as a trainee site manager to combine with her studies. She is delighted with the wealth of practical knowledge she is already gaining from being on-site and will be with the project until completion in 2020, which will hopefully coincide with her graduation.
Bukola admitted: “It has been brilliant so far – there are so many opportunities in this industry. Having this experience has helped me visualise how everything comes together and given me a better understanding, which benefits me in my studies.”
She added: “The site staff have been really helpful, I just hope I am not asking them too much…but I want to learn as much as I can from them.”
Bukola combines her work and studies with looking after her seven-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. Her husband Babajide is a quality engineer whose work takes him away from Aberdeen.
The mum explained: “The kids are quite understanding and know when they have to allow me to study. However, I find it works best if I go to bed when they do then get up between 2am-4am to study and go back to bed for another sleep.”
Bukola originally came to the UK in 1997 to study, including gaining an MBA in finance. It was during a course on project management that she became interested in construction and dropped her original plans to do a PhD to follow that route instead.
She pointed out: “We all have this idea that construction is a man’s scene but it is not just about buildings, there are so many other opportunities for women there. I work with a lot of other women on this site, who have many different skills and would encourage any females thinking about it to be positive and do it. I am very clear about what I want to do – I am going to be a construction manager.”
Fraser Innes, operations director for hub North Scotland, said: “Many people think projects like this are simply a case of constructing a new building but they bring so much more than that. They also benefit communities through offering young people opportunities to gain employment in the construction industry and local businesses get a chance to win a substantial share of sub-contract work.”
A spokesperson for Robertson Construction said: “Robertson is always keen to support new talent in the construction industry and to offer students invaluable experience within a live construction site environment through work placement opportunities.
“Bukola’s enthusiasm and passion to be involved the construction industry is to be commended and we are delighted to be able to enhance Bukola’s learning experience through our part in the construction of the new Inverurie Community Campus project.
“As part of her role as a trainee construction manager Bukola will experience, first-hand on ICC, the processes involved in the management and construction of a high profile, major construction project, whilst also gaining the chance to put into practice the theory she has learn to date whilst studying for her degree. “
When complete next year, the Inverurie Community Campus will provide school accommodation for 1,600-pupils, a relocated Additional Supports Needs school, a games hall, two gyms, a dance studio, a fitness studio, a six-lane swimming pool, a training pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a warm water pool, a community café, a synthetic football pitch, a seven-a-side pitch and a Multi-Use Games Area.