Key Points
- Turning Point Expedition: Milly is an example of a care leaver who was placed in a children’s home located in Newcastle because of her difficult childhood. She got an opportunity to take part in a 10-week Raleigh International adventure in Borneo, Malaysia.
- Conquering Hardships: On this adventure, Milly had to travel through the jungle for many hours, work in a wildlife sanctuary, and build roads, reaching her breaking point when she first wanted to go home.
- Personal Development: According to Milly, she learned during the journey to talk to other people, to conquer her self-hide, and to have real conversations instead of talking via a mobile phone.
- New Job: After coming back home, Milly managed to find herself a job at the construction company Robertson, working on various sites, including the construction of the Sir Bobby Robson Institute at the Freeman Hospital.
- Praise from Employer: Neil Kennedy, managing director of North East Robertson Construction, praised the 19-year-old girl’s tenacity and impeccable behavior as a young woman working in a male-dominated profession.
- Ambition for Future: Milly is looking forward to getting an apprenticeship at the company and becoming a qualified joiner, which is her dream.
Newcastle (Newcastle Times) October 1, 2026 — As reported by regional news correspondents, a young care leaver has embarked on an inspiring new chapter of her life, landing her dream job in the construction industry shortly after returning from a transformative 10-week expedition in the jungles of Borneo. Milly, whose secondary school years were spent in a children’s home in Newcastle following a traumatic childhood, utilised the confidence gained from her Malaysian adventure to transition straight into full-time employment with major building firm Robertson.
What Was Milly’s Experience Like During the Borneo Expedition?
The life-changing journey, facilitated by youth development charity Raleigh International, took Milly deep into the Malaysian rainforest. Her packed itinerary included trekking through dense jungle terrain for hours on end, contributing to community infrastructure projects by building roads, and spending dedicated time working within a local wildlife sanctuary.
Reflecting on the psychological and physical hurdles of the expedition, Milly revealed how close she came to giving up. As detailed in accounts of the trip, she recalled,
“We were walking for hours, in the middle of nowhere, with people I’d just met. That’s when I hit breaking point. I just wanted to go home.”
Despite wanting to abandon the trek, pushing through to the end proved immensely rewarding. Milly noted that the confidence-boosting experience is one that will remain with her for the rest of her life, fundamentally altering how she interacts with the world around her. She explained that she learned
“how to speak to people, and not to hide myself. And not to be afraid to speak. Now I just don’t shut up.”
Furthermore, while modern society often views total disconnection as a severe hardship, Milly found the absence of her mobile phone to be one of the most liberating aspects of the adventure. Addressing common perceptions, she stated,
“Everyone thinks it’s horror that I had no phone. But I actually got to speak to people and really have a conversation.”
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How Did Milly Secure Her Dream Job With Robertson Construction?
Following her return to the UK, Milly’s newfound resilience and interpersonal skills caught the attention of leading national construction firm Robertson. She has since taken up employment on site, training across various roles in the construction sector at the development of the new Sir Bobby Robson Institute, located at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
Expressing her astonishment at how quickly her fortunes have turned, Milly remarked,
“I very much surprised myself. I didn’t think I’d get a job like this when I left the children’s home.”
Senior leadership within the firm have been quick to validate her remarkable work ethic and professional conduct. As stated by Neil Kennedy, the North East managing director of Robertson Construction, leadership was thoroughly impressed by the 19-year-old and her positive attitude. Commenting on her integration into the workplace, Neil Kennedy noted,
“Milly has got something about her. I guess she’s got resilience. She is a young female in a male-dominated industry, but Milly handles herself exemplary.”
Looking ahead, Milly hopes to cement her long-term career within the sector. She is currently setting her sights on securing a formal apprenticeship with the company, with the ultimate ambition of fulfilling her dream of becoming a qualified joiner. Summing up her gratitude for the opportunity she was given, Milly added,
“It just feels nice that someone thought, ‘I’m going to give her a chance.’ I’ve took it with both hands, and I’m doing the best I can.”
Background of the Development
The context of this development sits at the intersection of care-experienced youth advocacy, alternative education, and workforce diversity initiatives in the United Kingdom. Care leavers—young people who have spent time in local authority care—frequently face significant systemic disadvantages when transitioning into independent adulthood, education, and employment compared to their non-care-experienced peers.
Organisations like Raleigh International design overseas expedition programmes specifically to target personal development, leadership, and resilience, using immersive wilderness challenges to build self-efficacy in vulnerable youths.
Concurrently, large-scale regional contractors such as Robertson Construction increasingly partner with social value initiatives, local authorities, and health trusts (such as those managing the Freeman Hospital developments) to create accessible entry-level training pathways.
By combining adventure-based personal growth with corporate social responsibility hiring schemes, initiatives like this seek to bridge the attainment and employment gaps traditionally experienced by care leavers.
Prediction
This development highlights a growing model for corporate social responsibility and inclusive recruitment that could significantly influence how large construction and engineering firms address both skills shortages and diversity gaps. Because care leavers and young women remain underrepresented in the construction sector, Milly’s successful integration into Robertson Construction serves as a practical blueprint for combining youth expeditions with targeted vocational training pipelines.
For the particular audience of care-experienced young people, social workers, and corporate HR directors, this story demonstrates that resilience-building outdoor programmes can act as effective catalysts for professional confidence. If major firms replicate this model of offering supported, mentorship-driven entry-level roles tied to civic infrastructure projects, we are likely to see an increase in non-traditional recruitment pathways that successfully transition vulnerable youths into stable, long-term trade careers while simultaneously diversifying the national workforce.
