Millie’s Story: Given the Chance and Running with It

At Optimum, social value isn’t just a box we tick. It’s about real people, real opportunities and the difference a single chance can make. Millie’s story is exactly that. 

Millie joined us as a social value candidate and is now part of the team on-site at the New Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, delivered in partnership with our client Sacyr UK & Ireland. 

Her journey into work wasn’t a conventional one. Millie found mainstream school challenging, but she refused to let that define what came next. A growing interest in the trades gave her a direction, and with support to submit her application and prepare for interview, she seized the opportunity in front of her, receiving the news that she’d got the job just hours after meeting the team. 

Since starting, Millie has been given more responsibility as she’s grown in skill and confidence. As she puts it herself, the key has been to “keep pushing past it”, a mindset that’s already taking her further than she once thought possible. 

Millie’s college recently produced a film about her experience, shot on-site at Velindre, capturing her progress in her own words.  

Stories like Millie’s are why we’re proud to support young people into meaningful careers in construction, and we look forward to watching her progress on the New Velindre Cancer Centre with clients SACYR UK & Ireland and beyond.