Senior Quantity Surveyor at Esh Construction Matthew Roulson has been appointed as chair of the Civil Engineering Contractor’s Association (CECA) Yorkshire and the Humber Foundations Group.
In his voluntary role, Matthew, who works across Esh’s civil engineering projects in Yorkshire, will lead the Foundations Group, which was initially formed in 2024. Chairing meetings and events for CECA members who seek support on a variety of careers and school events, he also has ambitions to deliver volunteer days, school engagement and CPD or training sessions to aid people who have recently joined the industry.
He said: “I’ve been associated with CECA for several years now and I was delighted to join the Foundations Group when it was formed. The Group is a great asset for people in the early stage of their construction career, and currently involves people from a range of commercial and operational roles, including estimators, business development and communications.”
After completing a degree in Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying at Loughborough University, Matthew worked as a project-based Quantity Surveyor for a national contractor in Birmingham and Essex in his early career. But having set his roots firmly in Yorkshire, he sought a change in career direction and joined Esh Construction in September 2020.
Driven by the support and encouragement he received when starting out in the industry, Matthew is keen to ensure others have similar opportunities. He said: “I had the benefit of a good mentor during my placement year and time as a Graduate Quantity Surveyor – they assisted in me developing objectives, pursuing accreditation and even introduced me to the CECA Breakfast Seminars that I still attend now.
“Recognising the importance of this, I want to make sure those joining Esh and the wider industry have the same opportunities and support at the beginning of their careers, similar to my experience, so that they too can make the best possible start. While some larger contractors will be able to put employees through key training programmes, the Foundations Group aims to bridge the gap for those starting out at the same time, who may not have those opportunities readily available through their employer.”
It’s not just new industry entrants that will be the focus of CECA Foundations – Matthew is keen to engage with the next generation of industry talent. He said: “I was 15 when I sat down with a careers teacher, and we identified that I was good at maths and had a particular interest in the functional elements of maths. From that point, quantity surveying seemed like a good fit and I was fortunate to take on a sponsored sandwich degree course with a placement year in the industry, ensuring I would gain experience alongside my studies.
“Through the Foundations Group, together we can promote the industry in schools to inspire the future workforce.”
Flourishing in his role as a Quantity Surveyor, Matthew has worked across key civil engineering projects such as Broom Road and Sheffield Road Cycleways in Rotherham and the M181 Southern Junction roundabout near Scunthorpe. Alongside his key responsibilities though, he has also supported Esh’s social value initiatives.
Matthew played an integral role in developing a Maths workshop for Esh’s award-winning Construction in the Curriculum programme by building a maths lesson around the role of a Quantity Surveyor. Four tasks based on measurement, pricing and programme, design drawings, pricing schedules and a construction project programme, aim to show secondary school students how the curriculum links to careers in the industry.
In forging links with universities across Yorkshire, he has recruited and mentored three consecutive year-out placement students on their respective journeys, promoting the shared values that Esh carries from its humble origins.
While presenting guest lectures at Huddersfield University has also stood Matthew in good stead for his new role with CECA Foundations.
“As a business, Esh has always been supportive of me attending CECA meetings and seminars to aid my career progression,” added Matthew. “When the opportunity to join the Foundations Group as chair arose, they were fully behind me taking up the position. It’s vital that we engage people from across the sector so that we can not only identify development needs for those junior personnel but also draw on existing resources within the industry.”
Recognising the importance of this, I want to make sure those joining Esh and the wider industry have the same opportunities and support at the beginning of their careers, similar to my experience, so that they too can make the best possible start.
While some larger contractors will be able to put employees through key training programmes, the Foundations Group aims to bridge the gap for those starting out at the same time, who may not have those opportunities readily available through their employer.”