Fiona Moffat, Site Administrator with GRAHAM Construction

“I managed to find my current job through DGTAP. They had a job advertised on Universal Jobmatch, and with their support, I applied and was successful in getting the job.”

My role as site administrator varies depending on the stage meetings are at; every day is different. One of my normal duties is recording drawings and uploading them to our system. I am also responsible for filing important documents and processing invoices received from contractors. Everything is uploaded to our system so that we always have the information available electronically.

My job requires strong IT and organisational skills. I need to be able to adapt quickly to changes or issues which may arise. When I was at school, opportunities were very limited. It was very much my own responsibility to find ways to develop my skills outside of school.

This is why I was so pleased to hear about what will be happening at the Bridge Project. The project has a strong focus on improving the way local businesses and schools interact and work together. Its aim is to help people develop a better knowledge and understanding of the skills required to find jobs and provides strategies to help people once they have gained employment which will be a great asset to the community.

Nowadays, I think people struggle to find jobs because they have no experience of work when they leave school. A lot of people simply don’t know what to expect from the working world. I think that employers have an expectation that people leaving school and university should have the skills they require, however quite often this is not the case with practical skills.

Through working with young people, the Bridge Project will also install a sense of direction. People’s ambitions will likely change from when they were at school as they gain more experience and broaden their skill-sets. For example, after gaining work experience in a certain sector, someone might realise that it is not for them and this may prompt them to focus on looking at jobs in other areas. It is definitely better to identify these things earlier on in life.

Ideally, I still see myself working with GRAHAM Construction in five to ten years’ time. I would like to work on bigger projects, hopefully in the Dumfries and Galloway area.