Case Study: Supporting Progression into Construction
In October 2025, the London Borough of Merton partnered with Watkins to run an introductory session for people interested in entering the construction industry, particularly those who had been out of employment for some time.
Over fifteen people attended. Watkins gave them an overview of construction projects, the apprenticeship and career pathways available, and the skills and behaviours that matter on a real site. Jason Diaz, one of our current apprentices working on the Station Road (Hills site) job in Merton, spoke about his day-to-day. Having a current apprentice in the room helped make the opportunity feel real rather than theoretical.
One of the attendees was Alpha Bah. Originally from Sierra Leone, Alpha moved to England four years ago to live with his aunt and uncle, and has been keen to build a career and develop practical skills. He’d been interested in construction for a while but hadn’t had a clear way into the sector. He engaged closely throughout the session, especially with the hands-on aspects and Jason’s first-hand account.
The route in
Getting onto a UK construction site means having two things: the CITB Health, Safety & Environment Test passed, and a corresponding CSCS card issued. Together, they’re effectively the entry ticket. Without them, no site induction, no work.
Following the Merton session, Watkins identified five attendees we wanted to support through the CITB HS&E Test. Alpha was one of the five. We gave each of them guidance on the test, access to revision materials, and encouragement to actually book in and sit it, which is the bit that quietly stops a lot of people. Of the five supported, two passed. Alpha was one of the two.
Onto a live site
With the CITB test under his belt, Watkins helped Alpha get his CSCS card sorted, and then offered him a period of work experience at the Station Road site.
During the placement, Alpha worked alongside Jason Diaz (the plumbing apprentice he’d first heard speak in Merton) and learned from Reggie, one of our long-standing subcontractors. He spent time on practical, hands-on tasks using real tools and real equipment, in a real working environment.
His own reflections on it were simple and clear:
“I really enjoyed the practical work. I valued working alongside Jason the plumbing apprentice and Reggie. I appreciated getting to use equipment and tools.”
Alpha Bah, on his Watkins work experience
Why it matters
The pathway into construction is one of the more opaque ones in the UK trades. Apprenticeships exist, training exists, employer schemes exist, but the route from “I’d like to do this” to “I’m on site” can feel impossible to navigate without someone showing you the steps. The CITB test on its own intimidates a lot of capable people out of trying.
What worked for Alpha was a combination of three things: a community session where he could meet a current apprentice and ask real questions, a structured intervention to get him qualified, and a real placement at the end of it. None of those things on their own would have got him there.
His story also reinforces three things we keep coming back to:
- Peer role models matter. Hearing Jason Diaz talk about his apprenticeship was what made the opportunity feel reachable.
- Hands-on learning beats theory. Alpha learned more in a few days at Station Road than he could have in any number of brochures.
- Early intervention and ongoing support, together. Identifying the people who need a hand, then actually sticking with them through the test and the placement.
Watkins is grateful to the London Borough of Merton for opening the door to the session in the first place, and to Jason and Reggie for showing Alpha what the work actually looks like. Stories like this one sit naturally alongside Kairo Anthony’s national award — same Watkins apprenticeship infrastructure, different chapter. We hope Alpha’s next chapter is the longer one.
