A 19-year-old construction apprentice who first picked up a trowel in a Zimbabwean classroom is now building a career in the UK industry, after a placement with RJD Associates helped set her on her path.
Leandra Madonko, who moved to the UK from Zimbabwe at the age of 15, is currently studying for an apprenticeship in construction management and site management with Telford-based company Evolve, working on water utilities projects with Severn Trent. But her love of construction goes back much further than that.
“I’ve always known I wanted to be in construction, ever since I was in primary school,” she said. “I didn’t know exactly what, but I knew it was construction.”
That early interest was cemented while Leandra was still at school in Zimbabwe, where pupils are required to choose a practical subject from a shortlist that includes food and cooking, fishing, agriculture and construction. Leandra chose construction, training as a bricklayer from the age of 12.
“I’m a pretty good bricklayer,” she said. “But with time I thought I didn’t want to go into a trade — maybe I’d go into something more professional. I just knew it was construction for me.”
After moving to the UK, Leandra went on to study a T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction at Newcastle College, before securing a placement with RJD Associates through a connection made via the Regeneration Brainery programme.
The placement, which included visits to construction projects across Greater Manchester, gave her hands-on experience of the health and safety side of the industry — an area she is still considering as a long-term career option alongside site management.
RJD Associates director Damien Radcliffe praised Leandra’s contribution during her time with the firm, and highlighted the role that schemes like Regeneration Brainery play in bringing young people from diverse backgrounds into construction.
He said: It was an absolute pleasure to have Leandra with us on a work placement, and it demonstrates the vital part that Regeneration Brainery are playing in helping young people from diverse backgrounds pursue careers within the construction industry.
“Having played a small part at the start of Leandra’s pathway to a career in construction we’re looking forward to watching her progress over the coming years.
“Leandra’s long term career goal is to work as a construction site manager, and we’d wholeheartedly recommend her to any potential employers looking to employ a vibrant young person who has both the personal and professional skills to positively impact their business.”
Leandra, who remains in regular contact with the RJD Associates team and still visits the office despite her placement hours being complete, is candid about the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry.
Of the 23 students on her course at Newcastle College, only two were women.
“You’re definitely going to need good social skills and some emotional stamina,” she said. “Women are always going to be the minority, and if you’re a female you need to be prepared for that. Even my mum wasn’t in support of it at first. But it’s just about believing in yourself. If you want to do it, just do it.”
Leandra says she draws on experience gained in an equally male-dominated classroom in Zimbabwe, where she was the only girl among 45 to 50 students on her bricklaying course. Her advice to other young women considering a career in construction is to focus on building confidence and communication skills.
“Social skills would be the first thing you need in the construction industry, because even if you’re networking at construction events, you’re going to need those skills,” she said. “There’s a lot of options in construction — try to be social first, and then see what works for you.”
Regeneration Brainery is an award-winning aspirational academy for brilliant young minds.
Set up in 2017, the non-profit works with over 4,000 young people across the UK every year. Its flagship programme is a week-long “Brainery Bootcamp” that lays the foundations for skills development, networking and social interaction, alongside work placements, internships and apprenticeships.
