FINDING a job is difficult at the best of times – so when one young construction graduate from Sussex needed experience to get on the career ladder, he was pleased to be offered a part on a major project for the region.
Kisen Ghedia, 21, from Smallfield, has joined engineers Spencer on a project to build a new rail operating centre for Network Rail. The new building will be a hub for signalling in the region, and will bring up to 600 jobs to the area.
The new centre will have more advanced signalling tools and technology that will help reduce delays, improve performance, increase capacity, provide better information to passengers and offer better value for money.
Like many young graduates, Kisen realised he had to gain valuable work experience in order to compete in the increasingly tough job market. A graduate in Construction Management and Environment, he refused to let rejections dampen his spirits, and instead sought work experience from his local job centre in Crawley.
He said joining the main contractors on site was helping him realise his ambitions. “I’ve always been interested in building – especially unique build and the challenges they present. To me, this is the sort of job that instantly makes a difference; you are providing the basic infrastructure everyone needs, whether that is to travel, live or work,” he said.
“It’s great to be on site, and to be finally involved in the industry I studied for. I am with Spencer for six weeks, and by the end of that I think this will have increased my chances of employability.”
Marios Chrysanthou is the project director for Spencer on site. He said: “Kisen has been with us a short time and is already part of the team, on what is a fantastic project for Crawley.
“It is a difficult job market out there, in an industry which needs to make sure it nurtures the next generation of innovative construction specialists and engineers. Kisen is one of those people, and we are proud we can play our part in helping him.”
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