Station Hill, Reading welcomes next generation of property leaders with ‘Pathways to Property’ initiative
Station Hill, the pioneering regeneration scheme in the heart of Reading, has proudly hosted the UK-wide ‘Pathways to Property’ Summer School for a second consecutive year.
141 talented students aged 16-18 from schools and colleges across the country were welcomed to Station Hill to experience the property sector first-hand at one of the UK’s largest mixed-use developments outside London.
The Pathways to Property initiative – led by the Reading Real Estate Foundation at Henley Business School –attracts students from backgrounds not always traditionally associated with real estate into the sector. It also highlights the wide range of careers available across the property industry.
The students joined key members of Lincoln Property Company’s (‘Lincoln’s’) development team as part of their week-long summer school, including a presentation from Lee Fearnhead, Director of Construction for UK & Europe at Lincoln. Lee discussed the challenges of simultaneously delivering two phases of a major regeneration scheme in the centre of Reading and shared his personal career journey in the property and construction sectors.
As well as learning about the complex process of creating and delivering a modern urban development, students were given the chance to view Station Hill first-hand through a series of accompanied site tours. They were also encouraged to share their creative thinking and aspirations for the remaining parts of the site through an open competition for the next phase of works (Phase 3) and how this can best be taken forward.
When complete, Station Hill will include up to 1,300 new homes, 625,000 sq ft of office space and 95,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and amenity space.
Lee Fearnhead, the Director of Construction for UK & Europe at Lincoln said: “We are incredibly proud to have the Pathways to Property programme return to Station Hill for a second year. It was great to see so many talented students engaging with the project team and sharing their ideas and aspirations for Phase 3. We hope this experience will inspire some of these students to pursue careers of their own in real estate. We are also hopeful that a few of those who participated in the programme will actually end up joining the team at Station Hill and take their first steps on their very own pathways to property.’
Victor Nicholls, Lecturer in Development and Planning at Henley Business School and Academic lead for the Pathways to Property programme said: “It is fantastic that so many young students have been able take part in this year’s Pathways to Property Summer School event. Our programme, boosted by the incredible support of the Reading Real Estate Foundation, offers a much-needed catalyst to help attract talented students into the real estate sector. A big ‘Thank You’ to the whole development team at Station Hill – with the incredible support of senior members of the Lincoln Property Company, and MGT Joint Venture.
“As well as welcoming students on site, this initiative helps to highlight the range of opportunities available within the UK real estate sector. We hope this year’s activities have inspired more young people to explore the options available to them in this exciting and dynamic industry and provided a direction for their future career paths.”
Among those students who attended the recent Pathways to Property programme, feedback included the following:
- “I really liked the networking connections and going to Station Hill. They made it very informative and interesting.”
- “I really loved the site visit, and I can’t wait to see what Station Hill brings.”
- “One of the best educational experiences I have ever had; I’m so glad I came.”
The Station Hill team is looking forward to supporting Pathways to Property in the future as it continues to support talented students across the country, providing them with the opportunity to build careers in the UK’s dynamic property industry.