Last year, leading South Wales developer Lovell welcomed two graduates to the team as part of a Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Graduate Scheme to link talented graduates with ambitious businesses in South Wales.

One year later, 23-year-olds Chloe Akerman and Alex Smith are both enjoying their time at Lovell and are working on further increasing their skill set since completing the CCR Graduate Scheme, all whilst navigating through the pandemic.

The CCR Graduate Scheme aims to provide paid graduate level employment alongside a fully-funded professional qualification delivered by the University of South Wales, as well as hands-on support during the internship and networking opportunities with fellow graduates.

As part of the scheme, Chloe and Alex attended monthly lectures and completed coursework in their spare time as they worked towards a qualification in leadership and management.

Chloe began at Lovell as a Graduate Bidwriter Coordinator, with an undergraduate degree in History and masters degree in International Journalism from Swansea University. During the first few months in her role, Chloe demonstrated a keen interest in sales and marketing and Lovell's flexibility as an employer meant they were able to offer her the role of Sales and Marketing Assistant in February.

She said: “It's been a very interesting year with the pandemic, but I have settled into my new role quickly and it has been a really positive experience. This role is helping me to develop well-rounded skills and gives me a good depth of understanding of how the company operates; I really enjoy the variety and how every day is different.

“I'd recommend the graduate scheme now more than ever as leaving university can be daunting, especially with the added pressure of a pandemic. The scheme helped me to find a well-suited role in an industry I may not have considered otherwise. Now that I've completed the scheme and have an extra qualification under my belt, I'm looking forward to developing my skills and progressing within my role.”

Alex joined Lovell as a Land and Partnerships Graduate from the University of the West of England, with a first-class honors degree in Real Estate, as well as bringing experience from his placement year with Savills PLC.

Alex commented: “I've really enjoyed working in my role at Lovell; the past year has been a huge learning opportunity and helped me develop a number of skills. My role involves working on a variety of different projects and no two days are the same, which I love.

“CCR was very supportive with the graduate scheme recruitment process and helped with my development, especially in the first six months when we regularly caught up. Lovell is a brilliant employer and I'd highly recommend the company to everyone. I'm now looking forward to developing my skills to benefit the business and build further on my experience.”

James Duffett, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “We're delighted that Chloe and Alex are both progressing so well within Lovell. They've proved themselves to be very hard-working and determined on further developing their individual skill sets, which is especially challenging during the current pandemic.

“We're always thrilled to be able to provide numerous graduate opportunities within Wales. We aim to recruit young, talented individuals and we want to retain the talent and keep them within the business, and that's very much the same as with the CCR Graduate Scheme – to keep people in Wales who want to stay there.”

Kellie Beirne, Director at Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, said: “2020 has been a difficult time for everyone, not least our graduates who are facing the daunting task of navigating their way through a world of work that has changed immeasurably since the onset of Covid-19. We are delighted to hear that despite the challenges the appointments have worked so well for both Chloe and Alex, and indeed for Lovell too.

“This is exactly what we set out to achieve with each and every appointment – recruiting for fit as well as technical skills. In these uncertain times, graduates are looking for work and businesses need highly skilled, flexible workers – so we are very much open for business and would be delighted to help any business or graduate considering new appointments.”

The South Wales and South West region of Lovell is currently recruiting for a Site Management Graduate and Quantity Surveying Graduate to begin in September 2021. The graduate programme is renowned for offering its entrants a fantastic starting point for a career in the construction industry. The scheme welcomes graduates from different disciplines and allows them to build upon their academic achievements in the world of business. To find out more visit https://corporate.lovell.co.uk/our-people/careers/.

To view available opportunities with the CCR Graduate Scheme visit https://www.ccrgraduatescheme.wales.

You can also like Lovell on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lovellhomes and follow Lovell on Instagram at @lovell_homes, and on LinkedIn @LovellPartnershipsLtd. 

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About Lovell:

Lovell is a leading provider of partnership and open-market housing. The company has expertise in housing-led regeneration including new-build, open market housing, refurbishment, planned maintenance and assisted living.

With offices in England, Scotland and Wales, Lovell provides a comprehensive range of services and can offer a full range of build and maintenance options for clients. Lovell is part of the Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group with revenue of £3.1bn which operates through six divisions of Construction & Infrastructure, Fit Out, Property Services, Partnership Housing, Urban regeneration and Investments.

For more editorial information:

Please call Alexandra Bullen on 0116 247 1777 or email alexandra@unsworthsugden.co.uk.