Building resilience and capability: Shaping the future of Morgan Sindall Construction

Case study

Ella Shuttleworth Graduate Sustainability Manager Yorkshire, North East & Cumbria Time with business: 2 years

I started working for Morgan Sindall during the placement year of my degree in civil and environmental engineering. I initially joined the business as an engineer, but my region was looking for someone to be its carbon champion, leading carbon initiatives across the region, and I was asked if I would take on the role. The opportunity to take part in Shaping our Future came towards the end of my placement. I was surprised to be asked and, initially, I felt quite out of my depth, as I wasn’t sure I was qualified to be part of such a big programme. But I really enjoyed it. I was only 20 when we started, and it sounds cheesy but I’m grateful I was allowed to take part. I learned a lot and met some fantastic people that I now work with on a day-to-day basis. Having that network of like-minded individuals within the business that are working towards net zero and other sustainability targets is fantastic. I didn’t really know what to expect at first. I like learning, but I wasn’t sure if the Cranfield learning was going to be a bit ‘fluffy’. It really wasn’t, and I still use a lot of what we learned now, just in terms of stepping outside of myself and looking at different ways of thinking and approaching problems. I was very new to the world of work when we did Shaping our Future, and taking part in the programme helped improve my understanding of the workplace and ways of working. I think what the business has done in getting its employees involved in strategic planning for the future is outstanding. For business leaders to hold their hands up and say: ‘We don’t know what’s coming in the next 10 years – do you want to help us find out?’ was really refreshing. I was amazed coming into construction how much more strategic, innovative and forward-thinking it is as an industry than some of the stereotypes would

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