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CIOB apprentice of the month: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’
Darcy Russell
Darcy Russell is a Level 4 construction design & build technician at BDW Trading.
What do you think is the most important issue facing the construction industry at the moment?
I think it’s actually mental health. When you look at the statistics, it’s devastating, especially in the north-east where I live – it’s the highest suicide rate in the whole country. That’s something that, in the industry, we really need to work on.
Have you seen this addressed?
We have got support, but I think that there’s a huge gap from the office to on site. Different groundworkers or joiners work in different places all the time. It’s hard to get everybody together and make people aware of what there actually is to help them.
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How do you think we can work to make the industry inclusive?
I think the industry is inclusive. But we need to promote women and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds to higher management: you can’t be what you can’t see.
Why did you pick construction?
My dad kind of always pushed me to be an engineer, and I enjoyed subjects similar to engineering at school. So I just kind of went with what I enjoyed. It’s a bit creative but it’s nice that I’m in the office half the week and then I’m on site the rest of the time. It’s good to get out.
What was your biggest challenge during your apprenticeship?
Time management! And finding the motivation to do uni work after work each day. By the time I’d finished the first two years of my apprenticeship, I was running my own sites.
What would be your dream project?
I would love to work on a development where it’s fully zero carbon.
What are your career ambitions?
I would like to be a director of a construction company. I’m really interested in diversity and inclusion, so I would like to make it a huge part of what I do as a director.
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