Thomas joins the OHH team for work experience

As part of our commitment to inspiring the next generation, One Horton Heath welcomed Thomas, a Year 10 student from Wildern Secondary School, for a two-day work experience placement.

Thomas has a keen interest in Maths and Design Education, particularly enjoying the creative elements of design and working with wood. His love of geometry made One Horton Heath an exciting place to explore how design and measurements translate into real-world housebuilding. Outside of school, Thomas is a keen tennis player, artist, and an active volunteer for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

This was Thomas’s first formal work experience, and he came with a clear goal: to understand what happens behind the scenes in large-scale developments and how ideas on paper (or screen) become real, liveable spaces.

Over his two days with the OHH team, Thomas explored a range of departments, including communications, health and safety, planning, and technical, attended a work meeting, and went on a guided site tour. His placement concluded with a short presentation summarising his key learnings to members of the team.

Reflecting on his time with us, Thomas said:
“The two days were very different. Day one felt more like a theory day, and day two was more hands-on. It was quite nice to experience both sides.”
When asked about the highlights, Thomas noted how much he learned from shadowing different team members.

He was particularly surprised to learn about the importance of infrastructure, from drainage systems to utility setups being put in place before houses are built:
“It was surprising to see how much has to happen before a home even starts being built. I hadn’t thought about things like drainage and groundworks happening so early.”

Thomas shared that the experience gave him a much deeper understanding of the construction and build industry, and he is still very much interested in pursuing a career in architecture.

Looking ahead, Thomas is now planning his A-level choices, with a strong focus on Maths and Physics. He’s taking what he’s learned at OHH into account as he considers his future path.

His advice to other students thinking about work experience?
“You’ll see a lot – there’s a lot to take in. Take notes and be prepared to work hard. But it’s really rewarding. You get to see how things move from paper to reality. I’m really glad I did this. It gave me a great insight, and I had fun.”

We were delighted to have Thomas join us and wish him the very best with his next steps!

Contact the OHH team if you are too interested in work experience with the team.