At Story, we’re passionate about helping young people take their first steps into the civil engineering and construction industry. We’re proud to offer multiple pathways from education into employment, including our Summer Placements, Story Summer School, Graduate and Trainee Apprenticeships and Post Graduate roles. Each is designed to inspire, support and develop future talent.
One recent success in Story Scotland stems from our partnership with the University of Strathclyde, where mentoring and hands-on experience combined have shaped two career paths.
Sam Kennedy’s journey with Story began in 2021 when he reached out to explore summer placement opportunities. After meeting with Graeme McInnes, Engineering Director, Sam secured a placement on site with Story in 2022. That experience has helped him apply his university learning in a live project environment and sparked a lasting connection with the company.
After graduating in 2023 with a First Class Honours in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sam joined Story full-time and has since contributed to multiple projects. In 2024, he was invited by Serge Gomez, Senior Engineering Manager, to mentor a group of Strathclyde students as part of a class led by Mike Murray, Senior Teaching Fellow in Construction Management, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde.
Sam Kennedy, Graduate Engineer, said: “Mentoring gave me the chance to give back and support students just starting in the industry. It’s rewarding to help others navigate their early career choices and see them grow in confidence and capability.”
One of Sam’s mentees, Jacob Luc, began his Civil Engineering degree at Strathclyde in 2022. Initially interested in consultancy, Jacob’s perspective shifted during the mentoring programme. His curiosity about contracting grew into a passion and he contacted Story for further experience. Jacob was then chosen and joined Sam on-site for a further 8-week summer placement.
Jacob Luc, Summer Placement, said: “The best part of my placement was having a mentor like Sam to guide me through all aspects of civil engineering. I learned so much and loved seeing the site evolve. It completely changed my view of the industry. I’d love to work with Story again in the future.”
Jacob’s enthusiasm, proactive attitude, and eagerness to learn made a strong impression throughout the placement, reinforcing the value of mentorship and real-world experience.
Mike Murray, Senior Teaching Fellow in Construction Management, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, said:
“Sam and Jacob’s journey is a great example of knowledge transfer and professional development. Story benefits by supporting local talent and strengthening its future workforce, a virtuous industry-university relationship.”
This story reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in people and building a strong future for Story Scotland’s next generation. Also highlighted from our recent success at Scottish Renewables “Green Energy Supply Chain Awards”, where Story impressed the judges with its Graduate and Graduate Apprentice Early Careers Programme being named the winner of the Green Energy Skills category. To date, 24 people have completed the programme in Scotland with a 100% retention rate, and a further nine new colleagues started their early careers journey this month.
