Hailing from Denbigh, the Cardiff University graduate has been promoted to senior quantity surveyor and her ambitions show no sign of slowing as she considers a journey towards chartership.

Joining the Ruthin-based company as an assistant estimator, Elen has since completed a master’s degree in quantity surveying and commercial management at Liverpool John Moores University.

She said: “I feel very fortunate when I think about my role at Jones Bros, as I’ve had so much support in my professional development and had the opportunity to be involved in significant construction projects from start to finish.

“When I was completing my A-levels, a career in quantity surveying was suggested to me, however, I felt there wasn’t a huge amount of advice on offer and opted for an undergraduate course which kept my options open.

“Therefore, to join a team that encourages progression and to be given the chance to further my education through postgraduate study alongside working was amazing.

“The company fully funded the degree and supported me to become qualified in a way that worked best for me.”

During her master’s degree, Elen balanced one day a week of classroom learning with time in the office and has felt encouraged to shape the job around her interests as she rises through the ranks.

She has played a key part in tendering and managing costings on major contracts in the renewables sector, including the onshore civil works for the Morlais tidal energy scheme and phases of the Sofia and Dogger Bank C wind farm projects.

Elen added: “Across my three years in the role, I have been able to combine tender responsibilities with cost and commercial management on live projects.

“Having variation means every day is different and allows me to have a full overview of a project, which is what I love most.

“It has meant I have been able to travel to various sites across the country and watch jobs take shape from tender drawings to completion, which provides a sense of satisfaction and has massively improved my technical understanding.”

Promotion is just one of her many achievements this year, as she also completed the Manchester Half Marathon in aid of Sands Charity with her family and is continuing her role as team captain of Denbigh Town Ladies Football Club.

She added: “It’s fantastic to be part of a growing company, which meaningfully gives back to the communities it works within and furthers the causes its employees care about.

“Jones Bros are the main sponsors for my football team and have funded the playing and training kits for a total of four seasons. Their continued encouragement and financial support have been invaluable.”

Jones Bros has also provided a contribution towards Denbigh Town’s wider fundraising scheme to update the changing room, kitchen, and clubhouse facilities, meaning the venue meets the Football Association of Wales’ requirements to host international matches.

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

For further info on this, please click here Elen reflects on her career at Jones Bros.

Samantha Green embarked on a level three BTEC programme in construction and the built environment at Coleg Llandrillo as part of her apprenticeship, achieving a double grade distinction, before moving on to a higher national certificate in construction.

After completing her college courses, she enrolled on a part-time degree in quantity surveying at Liverpool John Moore’s University, graduating with first class honours.

A project of note during her time at Jones Bros is her involvement in the creation of a 100 per cent carbon neutral operations centre for Brit European Group in Middlewich, Cheshire, which completed in March 2023.

The £3.6 million scheme comprised of a new logistics depot with car and HGV parking, a pedestrian link, and a service yard.

Vertical wind turbines were introduced to reduce emissions and a tank was installed to harvest rain and decrease water usage by 85 per cent, which will in turn support recycling for all toilet flushing and vehicle washing.

Reflecting on her career to date, Samantha, who joined Jones Bros in August 2021, said: “I’m so glad I was able to complete an apprenticeship in quantity surveying..

“When I was at school, attending university was framed as the main route for pursuing a successful job.

“Fast forward to now and I’m so happy to see there are multiple avenues and even more inspiration to work in construction or engineering.

“There’s no doubt strides have been made with young people enrolling onto apprenticeships, but more education is still needed in schools, to ensure pupils can have the full picture before they make decisions.”

Samantha continued: “I always feel empowered to continue my professional development. With the support of Jones Bros I am working towards becoming a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

“In my day-to-day role, I’m responsible for ensuring construction projects are completed within the budget. The flexibility of my job is also a great aspect, as my time split is between the office and site.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

For further info on this, please click here Quantity surveyor Samantha reaps the benefits of pursuing an apprenticeship.

Inspired by the idea of driving lorries as a youngster, the 20-year-old from Llan Ffestiniog, left her care home job to join the apprenticeship scheme at Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK.

Friends already on the award-winning programme and in full-time roles at Jones Bros gave Sophie some inside knowledge about the two-year plant operative apprenticeship.

She said: “I’ve always had some interest in this industry and when I was younger, I loved the idea of driving lorries, so I always aspired to a career where I could operate machines.

“Before starting my apprenticeship, I attended a training centre in Denbigh for theory tests and to learn about operating the machines.

“I really enjoyed my time at the training centre and jumped at the chance to apply to the apprenticeship scheme, it was definitely a good decision.”

This environment was certainly a huge change for Sophie, who is currently working at Graig Quarry, near Mold.

She continued: “Someone recently saw me in my high-vis jacket and was surprised because they thought I worked at a care home, I proudly explained that I now work at a quarry.”

When asked what it is like working in a male-dominated industry, Sophie’s response was a quite simple one.

“It had never crossed my mind that I’d be working in a male-dominated industry, I just knew that it’s what I wanted for my career,” she explained.

“So, I say to any girl considering civil engineering, to just go for it!”

Of course, no two days are the same on a quarry site but for Sophie there are some boxes that need to be ticked on a daily basis.

She said: “A typical day at the quarry starts with a briefing with my site manager to discuss what needs to be done.

“I then start my daily checks of the machinery and attachments before operating the articulated dump truck to move earth and other materials out of the quarry.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 50 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

For further info on this, please click here New plant operative apprentice has hit the ground running.

The 33-year-old has progressed from trainee engineer working on the Tywyn Sea Defence to contracts manager working for leading UK waste management clients including FCC Environment, Veolia, Hills Waste, and Viridor Environmental.

And now Owain and his team, which can be around 150-strong across projects in the south of England, are playing a role in High Speed 2 (HS2) – a high-speed railway line that is under construction between London and Wigan.

The work involving HS2 is part of a two-year framework with FCC Environment, which has appointed Jones Bros as the sole contractor in a deal worth several million.

Owain said: “The Calvert landfill site in Buckinghamshire is a big project because there is work around moving site infrastructure and relocating the edge of the landfill and re-engineering the site boundaries before the HS2 line will be constructed alongside the site.”

Owain, who hails from Dyserth in north Wales, travels the south of England, visiting projects in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, Croydon, Peterborough, Milton Keynes, Bristol, and Canterbury.

Talking about how his roles and responsibilities have evolved over the years, Owain explained: “I quickly ended up working on landfill engineering projects in the south completing health and safety paperwork and surveying.

“Then I became a site agent and that was focused on the financial side, which included aspects such as financial predictions and pricing projects.

“For three years I was a project manager, which involved covering all the sites in the south, and dealing with clients, plant development and all of the workers.

“I’m very happy to have been promoted to contracts manager and all that it entails from reviewing contracts, agreeing and finalising prices with clients, handling contract programmes, and ensuring key dates are met, as well as managing the overall health and safety, and financial performance, of the projects.”

It seemed like destiny that Owain would have a career in this line of work having studied construction management at the University of Liverpool, and helped start up family business, Evans Environmental.

Owain said: “In the summer holidays I worked with my dad, who was a sub-contractor for Jones Bros. When university was over, I decided to apply for a job with Jones Bros on the back of the work I’d done with the company.

“The training and support you get is fantastic and you are rewarded for the time and effort you put in.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 50 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

For further info on this, please click here From trainee engineer to contracts manager – Owain proves his worth to Jones Bros.

Around 75 schoolgirls from eight schools attended the event held at Coleg Cambria’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham, which featured leading names from both construction and engineering.

All secondary schools in north east Wales were invited to join a day of workshops, seminars, and industry-related practical activities ahead of International Women’s Day.

“I had a direct conversation with around 30 to 40 females, and it was a really enjoyable experience,” said Jones Bros quality manager Rayhanneh.

“It was fantastic to discuss any pre-conceived ideas around working in construction and engineering, which is not all about digging and labouring; there are a lot of other skills involved that aren’t always obvious when you walk past a site.

“The girls were so interested in the world of construction and engineering, and I was able to give them an insight into what work is out there.”

Rayhanneh had set her sights on biomedicine when she was approaching the end of her school years, but now she is a recently promoted quality manager after joining Jones Bros as an environmental advisor in 2019.

She continued: “This job isn’t what I thought I would be doing when I was in year 10 at school, so it was important for me to tell the girls that and to let them know about the many career paths and opportunities available.

“One girl told me she wanted to do something with art and design and there are a lot of jobs in construction that need that subject.

“There was nothing like this for apprenticeships when I was in school, and it was superb to be able to help inspire the next generation.”

Karl Jackson, assistant principal for the Institute of Technology and site lead at Bersham Road, was happy with how the event went, and thanks Jones Bros for its involvement.

“We have a really good partnership with Jones Bros,” said Karl. “It was fantastic to see them at the event along with several influential companies in construction and engineering.”

On the event, which was almost exclusively attended by women aside from a handful of male lecturers, Karl added: “The feedback we have had has been excellent.

“To see the enthusiasm of the women that were in attendance was great and it is wonderful to be able to play a part in helping remove the barriers for women in construction and engineering.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 50 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

To apply, click here https://jonesbrosweeklypaidjobs.livevacancies.co.uk/#/job/details/3

For further info on this, please click here Jones Bros’ Rayhanneh grateful for opportunity to inspire the next generation.

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has welcomed the 21-strong group onto its level two plant operative programme.

Jones Bros’ purpose-built training centre in Denbigh has enabled the firm to create tailored courses to its own specification, giving apprentices a wide variety of equipment to train on.

The apprenticeship scheme has produced nearly 50 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

One of the recent intake, Mathew James, is “absolutely loving” having the chance to forge a career with Jones Bros after swapping life working at his great uncle’s petrol station and car garage.

He said: “I knew a few lads from Jones Bros before I started, and I knew it was going to be a good opportunity for me.

“It has been one of the best decisions I’ve made, because you get to meet new people and make really good friends, as well as learn new skills.”

Mathew, 25, hails from Bangor, but has relished the independence of working almost 250 miles from home.

“I’ve already been out on-site putting my skills into practice and passed my ride on roller and forward tipping dumper training before heading to High Wycombe to carry out pipework at a recycling centre.

“The chance to work away was something I was looking forward to as I’ve lived at home all of my life.

“It’s fantastic to have that freedom and it helps you really grow up as a person.”

Like Mathew, 19-year-old Connor Brennan has enjoyed life on the road, swapping Llandegla in Denbighshire for the north east of England and working at the Sofia site, which will be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.

“It was a really good couple of months up in Middlesbrough,” said Connor. “I was doing general labouring and driving the dumper up there.”

Connor, who has just completed his first aid course at the Training Centre, based at the North Wales Hospital site that Jones Bros is currently redeveloping in Denbigh, is glad he took the opportunity to work for the company.

He added: “I was previously a machine driver, but I didn’t have the technical level of qualifications that Jones Bros wanted, so I jumped at the chance to do an apprenticeship.

“I’ve loved the work I have done so far and being at a company such as Jones Bros has been superb.”

Garmon Hafal, training manager at Jones Bros, said: “We’re really pleased to see how well the group have started on their apprenticeships.

“As a company we are always looking to invest in people, and we are committed to helping those with an interest in the work we do gain knowledge, experience and qualifications that will help them for the rest of their careers.

“I would encourage anyone considering a future in civil engineering to give an apprenticeship some thought.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

To apply, click here https://jonesbrosweeklypaidjobs.livevacancies.co.uk/#/job/details/3

For further info on this, please click here New intake of apprentices on life at a leading UK civil engineering firm.

After finishing a level three construction qualification at Coleg Menai in North Wales, Ryan began his journey with Jones Bros in 2018.

Fast forward three-and-a-half years and the 21-year-old completed a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Civil Engineering last summer.

The civil engineer has been working on the King’s Dyke project for more than a year.

“I’m really enjoying working at King’s Dyke,” said Caernarfon-based Ryan, who is more than 240 miles from home in Cambridgeshire. “It’s great experience; I’ve been doing surveying and ground monitoring, as well as kerbing, and it’s been superb to be involved in major projects onsite like the railway bridge and the underpass.

“It’s brilliant because I don’t want to be sat in the same job doing the same thing all of my life and there’s a great variety on this project.”

Rather than the usual one day per week release to complete his HND, the pandemic meant heading back to Coleg Cambria in Wrexham, North Wales for a more intense learning experience.

“It was a bit tough!” said Ryan. “But it made things more interesting doing it in a three-month block like we did, and the course and the support were fantastic.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Jones Bros for the help and encouragement they’ve given me and my career.

“The apprenticeship scheme is brilliant. I got to work onsite here at King’s Dyke whilst completing my current qualifications and the aim is to become a chartered civil engineer.”

For further info on this, please click here Ryan hails apprenticeship programme as he takes another important step on the ladder.

Fin Needham, 18, from Nafferton in East Yorkshire, spent five weeks working on site with Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK before starting the classroom portion of his higher apprenticeship scheme.

The teenager is now studying towards his higher national certificate in civil engineering at Coleg Cambria, North Wales, with plans to move on to a degree-level higher national diploma in the future.

He says his family are over the moon to see him on his way to a career in a growing industry.

“Both my parents were really pleased when I found out I had been successful in applying,” he said.

“I’d completed my A Levels in maths, physics and geography, and didn’t initially know what I wanted to do next.

“I had been looking at apprenticeships online, as had my mum, and in the end I applied to Jones Bros as we both recognised the company because we often drive past the Dogger Bank site.

“I really enjoyed being able to start close to home, getting involved with the hands-on aspects of engineering, using the GPS surveying equipment and helping out with trenches and the ducts that the high voltage cables will run through.

“Everyone has been incredibly welcoming, particularly two of the other apprentices who are a bit further along the course who I worked alongside so I could get my bearings.”

Jones Bros has six higher engineering apprentices and two general construction operatives on site across the three phases of Dogger Bank, with four plant operatives having completed their qualification while working on the scheme.

Fin says the company’s involvement in renewable energy projects was a big incentive in choosing the Ruthin-headquartered firm.

He added: “Low carbon projects like Dogger Bank Wind Farm are only going to get more important in future, so the skills I’m learning will be relevant for a long time.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in three consecutive 1.2GW phases; Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C. Each phase is expected to generate around 6TWh of electricity annually, totalling 18TWh annually across all three phases – that’s enough renewable electricity to supply 5% of the UK’s demand and equivalent to powering six million UK homes.

Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40 per cent), Equinor (40 per cent) and Eni (20 per cent). In November 2021 SSE Renewables and Equinor, 50:50 joint venture partners in Dogger Bank C, announced Eni will take a 20 per cent stake in the final phase, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining 40 per cent stakes each. The deal is expected to complete in Q1 2022, subject to regulatory approvals.

Garmon Hafal, training manager at Jones Bros, said: “We’re pleased to see how well Fin has started on the apprenticeship, and everyone out on site was very complimentary of his work.

“We are always keen to invest in our staff. Our higher apprenticeship offers degree-level qualifications with further opportunities to progress towards a Master’s in engineering and chartered engineer status.

“Higher apprenticeships are a fantastic way to start in the industry, and I would encourage anyone considering a career in civil engineering to give it some thought.”

Dogger Bank onshore works manager Oliver Flattery said: “It’s great to see our supply chain giving opportunities to young people in the communities where we’re building our onshore infrastructure.

“We hope this is the start of a rewarding and exciting career for Fin.

“We welcome him to the Dogger Bank team and look forward to working with him as we build the vital infrastructure to support our net zero future.”

For further info on this, please click here New engineering apprentice thrilled to get start on Dogger Bank.

In total, there have been six awards and nominations, from Jack Meredydd Owen being nominated for most promising trade apprentice at the 2020 CECA Wales awards, to Sion Hughes receiving a high commendation for most promising apprentice in 2019.

Robert Geraint Fôn Williams was nominated for the finals of the Welsh Apprentice of the Year Awards by the CITB, just months after being named most promising apprentice at the 2016 CECA Wales awards.

Jones Bros apprentices also go on to success further on in their careers.

Elliot Bidmead was named most promising trainee engineer (graduate) at the 2020 Ceca Wales Awards, after starting as an apprentice aged 17, with another employee joint winner of the same award in 2019.

Overall, Jones Bros has put forward employees for CECA Wales recognition every year since 2012.

For further info on this, please click here Awards success.

The former Ysgol Glan Clwyd pupil is to continue on to a higher apprenticeship, which was developed by Jones Bros in conjunction with Coleg Cambria, and can lead to degree-level qualifications in civil engineering.

Cai has worked on a variety of projects, including on infrastructure for the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank in Hull.

He is currently part of the team at the Colomendy Industrial Estate in Denbighshire where the company is building new roads as part of the expansion of an industrial estate. As a result of all of this experience he is now well-versed in how drawings become reality out in the field.

Cai said: “I’ll be full time in the classroom for the first two months, and then I’ll go back, in around a year, to finish the Higher National Certificate (HNC), and then onto the Higher National Diploma (HND).

“Because of my experience as a plant operative, I have a good understanding of how work is accomplished on site which has given me a bit of a head start.

“When I started, I hadn’t considered going beyond the apprenticeship, but once I got out there onto site, I could see what the engineers were doing, talk to them about it, and my interest grew.

“It was clear how enthusiastic I was; they are always happy to support those who want to develop their skills. Garmon and the rest of the apprentice training team were all really pleased to see me getting involved with the engineering side.

“If you don’t think the higher qualifications are necessarily for you, you can also go down the operative route and on to supervisor roles, but either way there is so much you can learn.

“You get to see so many different projects as well, and with different teams too, but wherever you are, everyone gets on well, and we all muck in get on with the job together.”

For further info on this, please click here Opportunities for progression.