Member Article

Batoul named the south’s most promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor

Batoul Hawila, from Maida Vale, London, has been named among the top civil engineering trainee quantity surveyors in the south of England.

Batoul, who works for Costain Ltd in Maidenhead, received the Most Promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor award at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Southern) training awards in London. She was among four young people recognised for exceptional performance and dedication.

Batoul, originally from Lebanon, received her award for her achievements as a Graduate Quantity Surveyor, working on projects such as the Paddington Bakerloo Line Link Project, which is connecting the new Crossrail station to the existing Bakerloo Line platforms at Paddington.

Her success is the result of a career change – she originally gained a BA in Business Management and an MSC in Banking and Finance, but then decided on a move to civil engineering. Batoul’s brother, who is also a Quantity Surveyor, encouraged her to join Costain and introduced her to the team at the Paddington Bakerloo Line Link. She then joined the Costain apprenticeship programme and was shortly after placed on the Graduate programme. She is now studying for an MSC in quantity surveying and on the path to becoming a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

David Allen, CECA (Southern) Executive Director, said that the success of Batoul and the other winners highlighted the importance of encouraging more young people into civil engineering, because their drive and innovation will help to unlock some of the challenges faced by the industry.

Said David: “It is inspirational to see our next generation of civil engineers making such a difference even in the early stages in their careers.

“Batoul has made a fantastic start to her working life in civil engineering and I hope her success will encourage others to find out more about the wide range of professional and vocational careers on offer. We are working hard to welcome more men and women from diverse backgrounds and other industries into our profession – as Batoul has proven, it’s an exciting and rewarding sector with lots of opportunities for progression.”

Many previous winners of CECA (Southern) awards are now working on some of the most important infrastructure projects across the UK, which is a reflection of their skill and commitment and the extensive employer support provided for training and development.

The CECA (Southern) Training Awards are presented annually to trainee civil engineers, apprentices and lifetime achievers in recognition of exceptional performance and dedication. Batoul received a trophy and cheque for £500 from Brian Crofton, Chairman of CECA (Southern), at the ceremony held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Colin Bridgman .