Pictured: Undergraduate work placement Josh Ward-Jones 

In today's evermore competitive job market, work experience is often the key to climbing the career ladder.

So, as University of Reading student, Josh Ward-Jones embarks on a year-long undergraduate work placement with Redrow Homes, he knows it will stand him in good stead for the future.

Josh, 20, from Solihull, Birmingham, is studying for a BSc honours degree in Building Surveying and opted for a sandwich course, which involved taking a 'year out' to undertake a work placement.

He is one of seven under-graduates who have just started a one-year placement with the award winning housebuilder, as part of a training programme that's designed to recognise and nurture future talent. It comes as Redrow also recruits 20 new apprentices and a number of graduate trainees.

Josh is currently based on site at Redrow's Earls Park development in Worcester, where he will spend the next four months but he will also spend time at Redrow Midlands head office in both the technical and commercial departments. Just a month into the programme, he is confident he is already adding to his skill set with valuable 'on the job' experience. "I'm learning a lot that will help me with my course and when I come to get a full-time job after university," he said. I'm getting to see different areas of the business so it will help me to narrow down which areas I want to work in."

Before attending university, academic Josh gained three A-levels in Law, History and English Literature and Language. He added: "It was always my plan to go to university and then move into the housebuilding industry. Spending a year on placement with Redrow will give me an advantage over other candidates when I look for a permanent job as employers place a high value on work experience. It's all great experience to put on my CV."

In his spare time Josh is a keen sportsman and plays rugby and football for a local team.

Richard Beadsmoore, training manager for Redrow, says: "We are delighted to be once again offering under-graduate trainee programme for the second year running since it was reintroduced last year. As unemployment among young people continues to rise, we see it as an invaluable tool to help them to get a foothold on the career ladder and give them a competitive edge when they come to seek full-time employment after graduating."

Redrow builds more than 2,500 new homes annually across England and Wales, with an emphasis on traditional, detached family housing from its New Heritage Collection. The company directly employs more than 900 people and provides employment for thousands of sub-contractors on its housing sites. Its commitment to training and staff development is evident in the purpose-built training centre in Tamworth.