Emerging Careers: Shaping the Future of SIP Roles at KAEFER
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t’s hear from Fiona Craig, our new Emerging Careers Lead, about her passion for promoting KAEFER’s core services as fulfilling careers of choice.
I recently asked my 6-year-old son what he wanted to be when he was older. His response won’t surprise: “Policeman” “Fireman”, both careers that many 6-year-old boys will have dreams of pursuing. You won’t hear many children of this age saying they want to be a Scaffolder, a Painter or an Insulator – but for KAEFER these roles are our core business.
My name is Fiona Craig, Emerging Careers Lead and through this role I want to challenge the above perceptions and turn our SIP roles into fulfilling careers, careers to be proud of. I have been with KAEFER for almost 12 years in a HR generalist role, within the Energy Division. This has given me a wealth of experience and understanding of the business and what the business needs to continue to grow.
I truly believe the role of Emerging Careers Lead is vital in order to change the perceptions of our young people, to make our SIP services a career of choice and one that demonstrates real career pathways and opportunities within our industry. By offering apprenticeships and similar opportunities, and demonstrating where a career can take you, will support us in growing our business and retaining the best people, to meet the demands of the ambitious projects we are involved in all in the midst of a very real labour shortage.
Stepping into the role of Emerging Careers Lead is an exciting opportunity for me. KAEFER continues to grow and I want to bring our apprentices and other emerging roles with it. We are a business that can offer so many opportunities. My new role is about listening to what our apprentices and trainees want and getting them to that point by ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills and confidence to pursue their chosen career. Within my new role I want to meet with our existing apprentices and trainees to find out where we are hitting the mark but also where we can improve and evolve.
In 2025, at the start of National Apprenticeship Week, we launched 80 new ‘earn and learn’ career positions. Find out more and apply here.