For Younes, working at Kirby has unlocked a new career with limitless opportunity.

It was a chance opportunity that led him to the role he’s in now. Applying for jobs close to his London home, Younes interviewed with a number of general contractors on Kirby’s next-generation data centre project in London through a social recruiting company, The Forge. But it was his interview with his now-line manager, Niall, that inspired him to take the role with Kirby.

He was, and still is, studying part-time for a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management at Bath Spa University’s London campus, and was keen to put his learning into practice. “The role I interviewed for was General Operative. From the moment I spoke to Niall, I knew I could grow with Kirby. I started with the logistics team and then was able to support the mechanical team. I began shadowing them, assisting them, and learning all about the mechanical aspects of the project.”

Younes joined Kirby in April 2024 and has taken every opportunity to advance and learn. “After eight months, I went to Niall and said I wanted to step up and progress. He sat down with the Operations Director and made a progression plan for me.”

“That plan has seen me work more closely with teams on the mechanical package,” he adds.

Niall O’Regan, Project Manager at Kirby, says: “We were introduced to Younes through The Forge, a local employment scheme working in the Ealing Borough. When I met Younes at his interview, I could see that he had something different. Since joining Kirby, Younes has proven himself eager to learn and develop, and he’s always looking to take on more responsibility. We look forward to seeing him progress and succeed over the coming years.”

The project Younes works on is in its final stage of construction and has begun pre-commissioning, with two years until completion. “There is technology on this project that I have never seen before – and every trade that you could imagine is on site. It’s a great place to build a foundation in construction and engineering. We’re all working together to deliver this next-generation data centre, which has been designed to support the growth in AI adoption,” he adds.

Once he finishes his degree in 2026, he hopes to pursue a Master’s in Engineering and has set his sights on becoming a Project Manager.

His path to Kirby hasn’t been without challenges. At 16, he moved to the UK from Morocco to live with family after the loss of his mother. He attended college in London, learned English, and after an initial qualification in travel and tourism, he went on to university to study construction management.

“We believe every single one of our people can reach their potential at Kirby. We offer industry-leading training and development programmes, mentoring and accelerator schemes for our high-potential frontline team members,” says Alistair Tosh, HR Director at Kirby

Younes has fully embraced the Kirby culture. Having worked for other companies while studying and in between vocational courses, he says: “You really feel the values here, and in terms of progress, I have a progression plan in place. Every commitment the senior team has made has been delivered on.”

The team culture on-site has seen Younes take part in community clean-ups in the and team social events. He says: “We’re all one team here.”

Environment Day Event

When asked what sets Kirby apart, he says, “Everyone supports each other at Kirby. That’s everyone from the Operations Manager to the Supervisor and the team.

“I’d like to stay here for at least the next 10 years. I know that if you put in the hard work and have a goal, you can get there. Nothing that can limit you -only yourself.”

Find out how you can reach your potential – careers.kirbygroup.com