Skye & Mason – Irvine Royal Work Experience Placement – May 2025

Towards the end of May the staff at McLaughlin Construction in Irvine had the genuine pleasure of hosting Irvine Royal S3 pupils Skye and Mason, on a weeklong work experience placement.

With disparate career aspirations (Mason is focussed on securing an electrical apprenticeship, whilst Skye is keen to pursue a career in architecture/interior design) the pair were presented with a diverse programme of activities to help them gain real insight into the processes involved in both the design and construction of our built environment.

During their week they were led through the tendering process by Bid Manager Niall Wright, were set detailed quantifying tasks by the company’s Quantity Surveyors, worked with the Admin team on plant returns and quotations and were set a research task to look into the history of the area around the Magnum leisure centre site.

In addition, they undertook a design exercise originally developed for delivery in local schools, where they were encouraged to be as imaginative as they could and set out their vision for a new playpark, with extra kudos for the funkiest idea. After presenting their own designs they were given the task of judging entries from children at Dalry Primary school, after a recent STEAM session held there.

To round out that exercise, the pair then joined Construction Manager Alan Burton for a tour of the Irvine Coastal Hub site, to see a real playpark under construction. This was followed by a further site visit later in the week, augmented with another to see the more developed residential project underway at the Former King’s Arms on the High Street.

Skye said “My work experience was satisfactory because we received knowledge of both on-site / construction and how the admins manage it all.

“For the admin side we learned how to compare bills and set them down in a spreadsheet and we went on-site to observe the different jobs that are performed on projects”

Ensuring equitable access to high-quality work experience can help level the playing field and provide all young people with valuable insights into the world of work. McLaughlin Construction believe that everyone should have the opportunity to take on a placement, possibly even more important for those who aren’t set on a definite path. The benefits aren’t all one way either; “Explaining what we do and how we work, especially to young people who may have limited previous insight, brings a real opportunity for reflection and appreciation of the talent and achievements in our company” says Niall, who continues “despite these two not expecting to come directly into the roles we employ, I think they got some excellent insight into the sector, and I think they had fun as well”

Mason said “My work experience was really enjoyable due to the fun staff and also work. I would recommend trying work experience to everyone, especially if you get the opportunity to go to McLaughlin Construction”