Station Hill, Reading, welcomes 150 Students for Pathways to Property Initiative for fourth consecutive year

Station Hill, the £850m landmark mixed-use development in Reading – which is being delivered by Lincoln MGT, the joint venture between Lincoln Property Company (‘Lincoln’) and MGT Investment Management (‘MGT’) – recently hosted 150 students for a fourth consecutive year as part of the ‘Pathways to Property’ summer school.

This programme – led by the University of Reading, Reading Real Estate Foundation and Henley Business School – plays a vital role in opening doors for students from underrepresented backgrounds, offering first-hand exposure to the wide range of career opportunities available in property and development.

During their visit to the Station Hill development, students were given a tour of the estate including the award-winning 275,000 sq ft Grade A ONE Station Hill office building, build-to-rent development, Ebb & Flow and the two acres of landscaped public spaces that create a ‘front door’ to Reading.   Station Hill’s public art trail has been created by local artists and represents a £1.5 million investment towards the regeneration and transformation of the town centre.

Jason, who attends a school in London, commented: “I really wanted to join the Pathways to Property programme as I already had a strong interest in the property sector and see it as offering a career path which will give me both freedom and flexibility in the future.  It also feels like an empowering area to work in.  I like the idea of not being tied to an office every day and being able to visit sites, particularly if I decide to pursue a career as a building surveyor.  I’m looking to find an apprenticeship or something similar and I’ve been influenced by seeing for myself the success of others who work in the property sector.  I know that building a base of contacts is key because, ultimately, your network is your net worth.”

Through presentations from – and discussions with – key members of the Station Hill project team – including planning, PR and branding consultants as well as the architects – participants explored the challenges and complexities of delivering multiple phases concurrently within a major, mixed-use regeneration scheme like Station Hill.

Tamara, who is studying for her ‘A’ Levels at a school in Southeast London, with a particular focus on Economics, said: “I’ve had an interest in real estate for a number of years and my awareness of the sector has been increased by taking part in the Construction Youth Trust through my school.  Ultimately, I’d like to move into project management. 

 “At this stage, I’m open to considering either an apprenticeship or a university route.  I’m hoping to study PPE at uni.  Pathways to Property offers people like me a fantastic opportunity to see what the property sector is all about and to find out if my skill set is relevant.”

As part of the programme’s activities, participants were asked to share their own design ideas for the development of the adjacent site, also owned by Lincoln MGT, part of which is currently the focus of a planning application to Reading Borough Council for 600 additional homes and associated retail and public realm.  Their designs were then transformed into professional formats with the help of members of the Gensler team and used in various presentations by groups of participants to a panel of industry experts associated with Pathways to property on the final day of the programme.

Victor, a pupil at an academy in Southwark, South London, commented: “I’m studying maths, economics and psychology ‘A’ Levels.  My ambition is either to be a quantity surveyor or an investment banker.  I’m attracted to a career which allows me to be out of the office for a lot of the time and which also has a strong focus on teamwork.  I’m interested in a career route which focuses on planning project costs or else an apprenticeship in an area like quantity surveying.  It’s great to be a part of a programme like Pathways to Property which gives me the chance to weigh up my options and understand the full range of career opportunities in the industry most of which I’d never even considered previously.”

Lee Fearnhead, Director of Construction for UK & Europe at Lincoln Property Company, and on behalf of the Lincoln MGT JV, said “This is our fourth year hosting the Pathways to Property Summer School at the Station Hill development and each year we have been astonished by just how high the levels of creativity and talent are from among the participating students.  This year was no exception, with many demonstrating exceptional confidence and professionalism in their approaches.

“We remain committed to championing diversity and supporting young professionals as they explore careers in the real estate industry.  We hope this experience has offered the students insights into the wide range of rewarding careers available in our industry, and perhaps even inspired some of them to become the next generation of property and construction professionals.”

Victor Nicholls, Lecturer in Development and Planning at Henley Business School and Academic lead for the Pathways to Property programme said: “Pathways to Property introduces the idea of working in the built environment to a wide range of young people.  It is a scheme that boasts significant support from the property and development industry.  Lincoln MGT have been consistently supportive in showing students around one of Reading’s flagship development, providing real inspiration for the next generation of property professionals.”