I joined the industry straight from leaving school when I was 16 and undertook a joinery apprenticeship with F.Parkinson Ltd. After completing my joinery apprenticeship, I continued to work on site while undertaking an HNC in construction. After completing my HNC I was afforded the opportunity, to take on a new role working as a trainee estimator in the Manchester office. After completing an internal training plan, I was successfully promoted to my current role as construction estimator working for the same company I started with back when I was 16. What a journey!

I joined G4C because I feel our industry and especially the apprenticeship route is undervalued as a whole and I wanted to join the Generation For Change campaign to give the next generation a voice and showcase how wonderful our industry is. In my role as the chair I hope to try and engage with as many people as possible in the North West and across the country and hopefully showcase how important the next generation is to the future of our industry.

In my spare time I am a massive football and Bolton Wanderers fan and I enjoy attending the matches with my Dad. I also love engaging and socialising with friends and the G4C family.

Please contact me anytime if you have any questions or if you would like to get involved with G4C – @G4CNW & @jcook95

G4C provides a platform for those in our industry who want to strive for change and improvement. We give them a voice to shout as loud as possible about the good, the bad and the ugly of our industry, so that they can shape their future. It’s a community where you can find allyship, share ideas, learn and build your network.

I first joined G4C 6 years ago as a trainee that was new to the industry.

Since joining G4C nearly 5 years ago, it has been a huge part of my professional development. It is a collaborative network, where you meet and learn from young professionals from so many different backgrounds. That’s the beauty of G4C, it brings young people in our industry together.