Professional development and career mobility

United States March 27, 2026

Unlocking people’s potential and talent

We’re building skills for the future whether that’s through early careers, upskilling people in line with their aspirations or reskilling people who want to try something new.

Key facts

>100

of our leaders have been through development programmes in the last 12 months

900+

chartered professionals in the business

>£100k

invested in sponsored programmes in the last 12 months

Once onboard, we have a range of opportunities to help you learn and grow your career at Costain:

Entry level opportunities
SHE Academy

Environmental and social responsibility is one of our core values at Costain and we are committed to helping the environment and communities thrive. Our SHE Academy runs alongside the Graduate Programme and includes apprentices and trainees from the safety, health and environment professions.

We’re really proud of our SHE Academy which has produced many senior advisors and managers who are now working across our projects.

You can read about our SHE Academy activities in this case study.

This network was formed to bring together a community of early-career professionals within the business. It's created a community for Costain’s graduates and apprentices, allowing them to connect with different parts of the business and learn from each other to aid their professional growth. 

Find out more about the Graduates and Apprentices network.

Emerging talent

Our Emerging Leaders Programme has a strong emphasis on experiential learning through real work experiences. It's delivered in partnership with external professionals who support learners to develop capabilities from Costain’s Leadership Framework.

 

Professional development to upskill and reskill
Front Line Manager Programme

The Front Line Managers programme was developed to provide leadership skills training for our teams working closely with supply chain partners and other providers. We recognise the importance of these front line roles in providing leadership across our projects.

The programme focuses on developing talented individuals to become successful Front Line Managers and Supervisors within Costain and on supporting their career journeys. 

Delivered in conjunction with Senior Works and Construction Superintendents, the programme includes modular workshops, mentoring, development assessments and networking opportunities with senior management.   

Find out more from Bryan Williams, construction director and sponsor for the programme.  

Diversity at all levels is fundamental to effective decision making and delivering high performance and Costain believes everyone should be able to participate, contribute and achieve their goals. The Empower Programme is one way we do this. Originally designed to support women with their next career move, its principles, tools and content can apply to everyone.

Find out more about how we're driving diversity in Costain.

Leadership development

We have a clear set of leadership capabilities that we use to develop and underpin all our leadership programmes. From focusing on personal resilience through to leadership communication and strategy development, we believe effective leadership is key to unlocking the potential of our people.

The Leadership series

The leadership series has been co-created with internal leaders to embed our core leadership principles across our senior and middle manager populations. It covers the four areas of our leadership framework and builds leadership awareness, capability and networks which support leaders in demanding roles. The programmes enables leaders to communicate strategy and build ownership that enables tactical delivery while engaging and supporting their teams to develop and deliver.

“The way we lead our people is key to building teams that can sustain performance over the life of our projects. As leaders set the environment and maintain the culture, Costain are keen to equip and empower leaders to do this well. The leadership series creates the conversations and networks that enable and support leadership growth across the company.”

Tim Stone, group talent and development manager at Costain.

The People Manager Development Programme has been designed to help those promoted into a leadership or management role to develop the core skills of people management. It covers the essential tools through workshops, mentoring and self-study, creating teams that are inclusive, healthy, connected, and driven to succeed. 

“Costain recognises its people managers have a huge part to play in unlocking the potential in others.  This programme provides a dedicated space for them to network with their peers, share experiences, and explore different approaches."

Samantha Anthony, learning and development advisor at Costain

Hear from some of our people about their personal experiences on Costain development programmes

Development available to all our people

Supporting progression

Career Pathway overview

Career Pathways

Career Pathways is a suite of tools aimed at supporting colleagues to manage their careers at Costain. It enables colleagues to assess their skills and competencies against those required for their current role and any future roles they may be interested in so that development plans can be targeted and future focused.

 

Study assistance

Study assistance

Everyone has the opportunity to maximise their development and we provide sponsorship to undertake a formal qualification, linked to business context. Through our study assistance scheme, we can support you in studying for undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications including MBAs, degrees and diplomas. 

Hear from Amie Jones, a site engineer in our water team, on how she benefited from the study assistance scheme.

"I am extremely grateful for Costain’s Study Assistance Scheme, as it has enabled me to progress and thrive in my career, while studying part-time. I am also grateful for having the option of taking study leave days for exam revision and to work on coursework. Having this support available has enabled me to truly thrive in University and achieve first-class marks for each academic year."

Amie Jones, Costain site engineer

Find out more about Amie's career journey

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Industry recognition

Professional membership

Professional membership

All our people are encouraged to be a member of a professional institution, relevant to their role. Costain covers the subscription as we believe that being part of a professional institution benefits skill development, through learning from others and the generation of new ideas.

Find out more about our total reward environment.

Chartership

Chartership

We also actively encourage progression to chartership and fellowship statuses, providing the right support and opportunity to help our people achieve this. 

Jayne Geary, senior project manager shares her career journey to become one of eight female ICE fellows.

"Being encouraged by Costain in 2020 to apply for ICE Fellowship made me realise that other people appreciate and value the skills I have. It's given me more confidence to look at roles that I probably wouldn't have looked at before, and it's also given other people the confidence that I can do the job. Being an ICE Fellow makes me feel that I have proved myself." 

Jayne Geary, Costain senior project manager

Find out more about Jayne's career journey.

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