On 8 October 2025, Lambeth Council joined forces with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to host a Construction Recruitment Day at Kennington Park Jobcentre — connecting local residents with real career opportunities in the growing construction sector.
The event brought together eight employers, including Vistry, Randstad, Callan Brickwork, McGee (Specialist Engineering Contractor), AYM, Gement, and HG Construction, offering a wide range of roles and training pathways.
Peter, an Employment Specialist at DWP, said:
“Job fairs featuring various industries are things that we do almost every month here. What’s nice about today, we’re coordinating with Lambeth. We got this great group of employers, like eight employers, which is more than usual we get. We’ve spaced out the claimants and the customers coming in, so it’s busy without being overly crowded.
We’ve already gotten feedback from management here saying, ‘oh, well you guys are really busy today.’ I’m very happy about that.”
The event highlighted the success of collaborative working between Lambeth Council and local employers, with several residents already benefitting from tailored support.
El Tari, a Lambeth resident who recently completed work experience with McGee, shared his journey:
“Working with Eamonn (Lambeth Council’s Skills & Employment Officer) was great. He opened up my eyes to so many opportunities and landed me with my first work experience with McGee, where I met Ella & James. He was very reassuring and helpful.”
Representatives from McGee, Ella Kotlowski (Recruitment Manager) and James Newman (Community Liaison Manager), reflected on El Tari’s progress:
“Lambeth Council sent through El Tari and although we didn’t have the right job opportunity for him at the time, we definitely wanted to help him with his job search.
He had lots of good experience, was really interested in construction, and we, as a business, were quite passionate about creating pathways for construction careers.
…During his work experience week, he spent time with our engineers, environmental and community teams, learning about piling, groundworks, and concrete, and hearing from our apprentices. At the end of the week, he presented what he’d learned — and he impressed us very much.
Everybody that worked with El Tari spoke so highly of him. He’s a great candidate, and we look forward to seeing where his future goes because I know it’s going to be bright.”
Lorraine Dawe, Head of Social Value at HG Construction, also praised the event:
“I found today really well organised. A lot of clients coming through the door with interest and really good event.”
Over 50 people attended the Recruitment Day, with 23 people offered face-to-face interviews with employers, and several attendees enrolling on further training — a testament to the value of partnership working to create meaningful career pathways.
If you’d like to know more about construction employment opportunities or how to get involved, contact: [email protected]