Determined Laura builds a career in property
26 year old Laura Davidson, of Hagley is carving a career for herself in the male-dominated world of Property Development.
Laura, a Development Executive at Regenco – the Urban Regeneration Company for West Bromwich discovered her passion for property and regeneration four years ago and opted for a part time MSc in Real Estate Management to realise her dream.
Laura said: “After university I worked as project coordinator for a robotics company but did not get a real buzz out of work until I started working in regeneration. I really enjoy the diversity that my job offers and wanted to further my knowledge and career.
“My Chief Executive was very supportive and helped me to choose a course that would help me develop and enhance the operational experience that I am gaining. I eventually chose a two year part time MSc conversion course. The course is RICS accredited which is really important as it is recognised within the industry and will enable me to begin my Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
“I started my course last September and attend university one day a week. At first it was a bit of a shock to the system going back to uni and I found it pretty stressful balancing learning and work, but I soon got into the swing of things. I take a range of modules including valuation, property law and planning and development which reinforces everything that I work on on a daily basis. I will also be learning things that I haven’t touched on as yet such as strategic finances and construction technology.
“I’m really enjoying the course and it is already proving to be an invaluable experience. I have made some very good friends and key contacts that will be useful in the future. The whole Regenco team are extremely understanding and are always ready to lend a hand and the Development Team ensure I put what I have learnt into practice.”
Karen Walker, Chief Executive of Regenco said: “We are really proud of Laura’s progress and she is a real asset to our team. She is now leading on one of our key projects and it is fantastic to see her grow and develop.
“It is vital that businesses invest in their staff and I believe executive education is extremely important. Even though university provides valuable skills it is vital that these are built on to help equip staff with the relevant skills that they need to progress and succeed in their chosen field.
“The Course, Laura’s attitude and approach has been excellent for us all so much so that even though we are a small team we had no hesitation in putting forward our Project Assistant Donna Annis to apply to start the course in September 2007. Continuous professional development helps instill confidence in the individual and as a result you get the best out of people and the best out of your team.”
ENDS
Picture Caption: (L-R) Donna Annis, Laura Davidson and Karen Walker
NOTES TO EDITOR:
About Regenco
Regenco is the Urban Regeneration Company for West Bromwich, Smethwick and Hill Top.
Working in partnership with Sandwell Borough Council, English Partnerships and Advantage West Midlands (the Regional Development Agency) it aims to attract new investment to West Bromwich by promoting opportunity and wealth creation for employers, residents, the community, and investors.
Over the long term it aims to improve the physical landscape of the region for all, creating a modern environment for working, living and leisure. It is aiming to attract over £1 billion of investment to West Bromwich and create over 20,000 jobs.