As part of the University of Kent’s annual ‘Employability Festival’ (13th – 24th October 2025), local housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Homes delivered a talk on ‘Building a Career in Construction’ at the Canterbury campus. The housebuilder, who is building new homes at Saxon Fields in Thanington and The Woodlands in Broad Oak, is aiming to inspire the next generation to consider a career in construction.
According to recent statistics by the HBF, for every 10,000 new homes to be built, the sector needs around 30,000 new recruits[1]. To plug this gap, the housebuilder is aiming to educate on the lack of knowledge surrounding the vast opportunities in the sector.
Barratt David Wilson Kent’s Kate Rowe (Head of Planning), and Jon Alldis (Strategic Land Manager) attended EmpFest25 and presented to a group of students. The interactive session highlighted potential roles available in housebuilding, an oversight of their own unique career paths and the opportunities available at Barratt David Wilson Kent in Land and Planning, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Technical, Commercial and Construction.
The talk also provided information on the ASPIRE Graduate Programme. The programme is tailored to university graduates to give a rounded insight into the housebuilding lifecycle alongside a chosen discipline. Graduates rotate around each area of the business in the first year (Land & Planning, Technical, Commercial, Construction, Sales & Marketing and Finance), before choosing a specific department to specialise in during Year Two.
Kate Rowe, Head of Planning at Barratt David Wilson Kent, commented: “Over a decade ago, I joined Barratt David Wilson Kent through the ASPIRE Graduate Programme and feel passionately about educating the next generation on the opportunities available to them. The programme perfectly showcases the diverse roles in the housebuilding industry and the different career paths available. The students were thoroughly engaged throughout our session, and we hope they feel better informed on how a graduate career in construction could look for them.”
Jon Alldis, Strategic Land Manager at Barratt David Wilson Kent, added: “Partnering with the University of Kent once again provided us with the opportunity to inspire the next generation as they take the all-important step from university into a career. We met with students studying a range of degrees, and it was valuable to showcase to them how the skills they’ve learnt fit in with a range of departments at Barratt David Wilson Kent. We look forward to seeing any familiar faces sign up for our ASPIRE Programme come November!”
Helen Johnson, Careers Adviser from University of Kent, concludes: “EmpFest25 was an incredible way of showcasing the vast opportunities and sectors we have here in Kent. It was incredible to welcome a local housebuilder to our menu of sessions, and Jon and Kate were exceptional in discussing how our students’ degrees can open a door into the construction industry. We hope our students feel they have been equipped with the tools they need to take the next step after university.”
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