Harriet receives her award from HRH The Duke of Gloucester
Harriet Bower, a young woman from Cheshire has won the Project Management prize in the prestigious Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme.
The shortlisted candidates joined over 200 senior industry figures and HRH The Duke of Gloucester at the awards evening at the Underglobe, London where the winners were announced. The finalists were judged by an esteemed panel of industry experts through a rigorous process of presentations and interviews earlier in the year.
Harriet, a 24 year old assistant bid manager at Balfour Beatty, impressed the judges with her enthusiasm and dedication.
Despite battling severe dyslexia at school Harriet achieved nine GCSEs and 3 A-levels. Thinking university was beyond her reach, she started work in an admin role. However with the support of Balfour Beatty she has completed a part-time degree and graduated from the University of Salford last year with a First Class honours degree in Construction Project Management.
She is now part of the Balfour Beatty’s Graduate Management Programme and is working to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Building by the end of January.
Harriet said, “from an under-confident 18 year old with no work experience or knowledge of construction, I have progressed to manage my dyslexia effectively and am currently bid manager, chairing meetings and writing complex bid documents for a £180m EfW project.”
Harriet also uses her time to make sure other young people know there are other routes for them if they don’t feel they are academic. She delivers speeches to pupils at her old school and is even involved in mentoring as well.
