Commercial Trainee Review

As a 'QS' I spend a normal day engaging with sub-contractors about who Kier are and offer potential work for them on my project, discussing item rates and work periods relating to packages that I put together and send out to them as enquiries. I discuss with my team who we have on our radar to complete work for us and even go as far as to complete background and 'D&B' checks to ensure Kier's safety and legitimacy in the industry. I take pride in having a role that holds as much responsibility as mine does but additionally the amount of interaction I have with people on a day-to-day across the industry and not just my team.

My confidence within myself has developed further whilst being with Kier as a result of continuous meetings, discussions and events I have taken part in throughout the last six months. I have improved my ability to be organised and plan my schedule so that I can come into work with a clear mind and objective on what I want to achieve today.

I find my programme to be very accommodating in terms of the support I receive everyday, small worries such as travel and business expenses are taken care of for me as well as the bigger things like support on challenging tasks and welcoming me into the industry I find have been beyond considerate. I come to work confident everyday knowing I have a great amount of support behind me and more resources to guide me through this programme than many others I know.

Milestones that I should be working towards achieving are very clear, Kier have so many pages and resources where I can read and take in information about where I should be and what I am working towards. Members of Kier such as my line manager and support coaches and 'buddy' are all introduced to me very early on which gives clarity on who to go to when I need help. The structure of the programme is dissected into many objectives to make tracking my progress easy.

Plenty! I have multiple members of staff assigned to me for support through this process and to act as a resource to use in a time of need. Small worries can be discussed with my 'buddy' and larger concerns or hurdles I may face can be resolved with my line manager. Mental health or emotional struggles have been supported through webinars, online courses and staff who are trained to help people in stressful and potentially depressing situations. I feel I never have to worry about not having help in my programme.

My apprenticeship coach at Sheffield Hallam is very helpful, I have attended welcome calls, online check-ins and a monthly review all since starting to make sure I am getting on okay and I am not struggling with anything which is very helpful and a great thing to have at the back of my mind knowing I always have someone to support me whilst getting my degree.

I am learning modules and content relating to my job role that I feel I would struggle to obtain on my own. Having so many resources and so much information at my finger tips is extremely helpful during this time that I am so new to my role. I am learning so much more in addition than just my daily tasks through my training provider.

Kier hold a number on webinars, in-person events, and even small forums specifically for their new starters to help with networking and team building during our time. Kier do these vents on a very frequent basis to make sure no one is missing out even if they miss one. I find the new starters 'emerging talent' events to be very beneficial for the opportunity to connect with people doing the same things as I am in the same situation.

Yes

Their support basis is far beyond the basic standard of the industry, the programme has been put together in a way that anyone could see the extents Kier have gone through to make it as impactful as possible. The staff are extremely welcoming to anyone new especially young people just making their way into the industry and that is beyond beneficial to a persons confidence.

Be authentic and ambitious, Kier love to hear about your interests and hobbies regardless of what they are because they value their community and what their employees enjoy in life outside of work, not just what they can do in the office. Enthusiasm will take you a long way- not everyone can be confident and extroverted but being enthusiastic about where you want to go in life and doing something you enjoy is very important for self growth and a good presentation of who you are.