Mum-to-be Emma gains 8 Distinctions out of 8 on HNC Construction course

Emma, who celebrated her success at Thursday's Graduation Ceremony in York Minster, excelled during her Level 4 Construction & the Built Environment studies on a course that is supported by the Yorkshire & Humber Institute of Technology and has since been renamed Construction Management for England (Site Supervisor).

Her efforts were also rewarded with the Prinicipal’s Prize at our annual Construction Awards and she is now hoping to become a role model for women in the industry as she applies her newly acquired skills to her father’s firm MLC York Limited.  

Already overseeing financial operations for the company, that was originally set up by her grandfather, Emma also opened Portuguese-themed restaurant Tasca Frango in Colliergate with husband Ted during her two-year studies and continued her work as a trustee for the charity Three Bears Foundation, which aims to raise funds and awareness in the fight against pancreatic cancer in memory of family friend Jane Burn, who passed away in 2017.  

She is now expecting her first baby on Christmas Day and, whilst admitting that “trying to fit everything in has been just crazy” over the past two years, Emma was determined not to neglect her College commitments and, as each Distinction rolled in, it incentivised her even more to complete a full set.

“Twenty per cent of my working week was at College, which is a lot of time when you’re also working for two businesses and I didn’t really know what to expect as I hadn’t done any formal studying for a while,” she pointed out. “It wasn’t like I was 18 starting an apprenticeship.

“We then lost my mum last October and I got married in the same month before becoming pregnant in March, but I found the course really enjoyable once I got into the swing of things and, after I got a Distinction in the first couple, I thought this might be something that’s achievable. I then got four and six and thought, ‘Right, I’ve really got to try and get all eight’.  

“The tutors were also great at establishing what I needed to do more of in terms of what they were looking for in essays and understanding the differences between analysing, discussing and evaluating. The hardest module was definitely the final individual assignment, just because you are completely guided by yourself.

“You essentially come up with the brief and have to make sure you hit all the criteria, but I worked very hard and tried to do the best I could. I also felt very honoured to get the recognition of a Construction Award – I didn’t expect that at all!”

Emma and Ted successfully applied for a special registry office licence to bring forward the date of their wedding in the hope that it would be in time for her Mum, who was battling illness, to see the couple tie the knot.

Sadly, she passed away just six days before they were married, but Emma, 29, knew her mother would want her to complete her studies and she was also grateful for the compassion shown by College during such a tough period in her life.

"It was an incredibly difficult, challenging and sad time when Mum passed away but, as a family, we knew that she would have wanted us to push through everything with tenacity and determination and she certainly prepared us for that," Emma explained.

"The tutors were really supportive and granted me a time extension. They were very understanding when there were days missed, too." 

Emma’s younger brother William also demonstrated resilience to complete the course and gain an overall Distinction mark.

Another sibling Edward, meanwhile, enrolled on a Quantity Surveying course in Leeds as the family consider succession planning with father Steve now 60 and hoping retirement is not too far on the horizon!

Having dropped out from university where she had been studying Modern Languages because “it wasn’t for me” and she wanted to work, Emma got a job with Waitrose before remembering a test she had done at school that suggested her personality and skills were best suited to a career in accountancy.

She had left school with an A in Maths at A Level and went on to secure a bookkeeping apprenticeship with Garbutt & Elliott (now Azets) before moving on to audit and tax experts KMPG where she spent six years, specialising in Management Consultancy.

Dad Steve then recognised that Emma’s finance and project management knowledge could benefit the family business, as he appreciated how another woman - Lorraine Kirbitson - was so influential in the growth of MLC York as the pair worked closely together during his early days at the helm.  

Lorraine, who continues to support the company and is also a Training Officer for the North Yorkshire Construction Training Group, is now somebody Emma aims to emulate as she looks to make her own mark in a profession traditionally dominated by men and perhaps become an example herself for other women looking to break into the industry.  

“Lorraine helped build our business and my dad loved working with a woman, because he felt it gave the company an edge, as not everybody expected to see a well-educated chartered accountant working in a construction company,” Emma explained. “It just didn’t happen, but Dad has always appreciated the value of having that balance and absolutely believes there is space for women in construction.

“I think men and women do have different ways of looking at things and, while some men can be disrespectful, I’ve mainly found the opposite and that they can be more respectful because you’re a woman. I’ve certainly not felt there’s a ceiling for me and three of the 10 students on our College course were women.

“I really respect Lorraine’s opinions on things. She’s incredible and so knowledgeable and I want to be her, basically, because I saw what she did with my dad.

“It was Lorraine’s suggestion that me and my brothers did a Site Supervisor-related course. She knew the one at York College was structured, considered and would give me a greater awareness of what happens on site and my brother more knowledge of administration and management.

“I grew up in construction because it’s what my dad has always done, so it was there in the background but it’s hard to work out what’s going on unless you’re on site, so the reason I did the course was because it was a way to gain that grounding and then progress and maybe do something else to bring those skills to the business. Whether that will be quantity surveying or construction project management, I’m not sure.

“Between me and my brothers, we have a lot to learn and huge boots to fill. Dad learned the hard way – from others and on the job – but there’s a lot to be said about doing it in a more structured way and getting your qualifications. I think that really helps and we want to operate at the best level we can as a family business.”

Emma added that she believes the course serves as a possible route into so many areas of the construction sector and that the close attention of tutors helped her succeed and fulfil her potential.

“The course provides a great overview of the construction industry and, depending on which module you enjoyed most, can be a stepping stone towards so many careers whether that’s surveying, renovation, refurbishment or health and safety,” she said. “Health and safety can be the bane of your life when you’re running a construction company, but it’s an area where there are lots of jobs available, because everyone needs somebody who is really good at it.

“It’s a really varied course and the tutors handle that really well, because it’s difficult to cater to different needs. Some people like learning in a classroom, some people like doing it themselves and some people don’t like learning at all.

“There were a few people who hadn’t used a computer for a while, but you are given the autonomy and trust to study yourself whilst also being supported. My tutors and course leader were so friendly and made you feel at ease.

“You could ask as many questions as you wanted and I’ve always liked smaller classrooms, too. Having started the course not knowing each other, we all became friends, which was really nice and there were people from the age of 18 to others in their 40s. When there are too many of you, you can feel a bit lost and don’t get as much one-to-one time or as good a relationship with your tutor.”

Having regained the education bug, Emma is keen to continue acquiring skills and knowledge that will help ensure a successful future for MLC York.

“Let me give birth first but, hopefully, by next September, I’ll be ready to go again!” she laughed when asked about her next steps. “I’ll speak to Lorraine about it again and I definitely need to continue my finance CPD (Continuing Professional Development), but I also want to know as much as I can about running construction projects, because that’s the only way I’m going to be successful in the business.

“I’ve got that knowledge of cashflows, management accounts and running a budget, but I also need to know more about what’s going on outside. I need to decide whether I look at quantity surveying and cost consultancy or project management.

“It will probably be a case of doing a part-time uni degree and taking the baby in with me, while helping to run the restaurant and charity as well!”

To learn more about our HNC in Construction Management for England (Site Supervisor) course, please click here

You can also find out more about our full Construction offering and meet tutors at our next Open Event on Tuesday 8th October from 5.30pm to 8pm.

Register a place by clicking here