Apprentice Quantity Surveyor Review

Apprentice Quantity Surveyor - making subcontract payments, raising orders, delivering tickets and working with other QS's that are also working on Boston Barrier.

I have gained a qualification already within my first few months and will gain more during my time on the apprenticeship programme. Whilst on site, I attend different training courses that the other members of the commercial team are attending. I have learnt how to manage my time a lot more efficiently and how to organize myself with invoices so myself and others know where we are up to with subcontract payments. I have gained confidence when communicating with both internal and external people through regularly attending meetings and interacting with several subcontractors and others within the team on a regular basis.

I really enjoy doing the job especially as I like being part of the team I am in at the minute at Boston Barrier. Everyone is really helpful and always willing to help and teach me beyond the curriculum so I gain experience in all areas. It exceeded my expectations as I was expecting to find it harder to gel into the team but it took me less than a week to feel like I could approach other members of the team which has helped my confidence to grow and for me to believe in myself also.

Extremely valued. All members of my team praise me when I do something well and talk to me often about how I can improve. My opinion is valued within meetings as I am regularly encouraged to give input on how the project as a whole can improve. I am included in majority of tasks which means that my abilities are growing faster than the curriculum actually suggests - I am pushed to better myself all the time.

My programme is organised well - I know what tasks I need to complete within a day and I know exactly when I am achieving the tasks set out by the curriculum as I undertake the activities. The other members of the team talk to me a lot regarding support which means that I find it really easy to speak up when I am unsure or have any worries. My mentors are extremely helpful and encourage me always to do better - above and beyond the curriculum.

The tutors at Leeds College of Building give a large support network which helps to support students such as myself especially when giving guidance on how to manage workloads etc.

Whilst being on site I have been provided with a lot of support which has been the main contributor to my growing confidence. All the members of the team are extremely approachable when I have a problem or any concerns which has helped me to learn quicker. Everyone is happy to support me and that made me settle into the team well.

My salary is extremely good especially for an apprenticeship and this allows me to be completely independent and socialize regularly.

The site I am on currently has a gym and we can use this anytime we want after working hours and there are groups of people from site that go to the gym and go out after work due to most working away from home - everyone is in a similar boat but there are various things we can do to pass the time and make working away easier.

Yes

BAM Nuttall promote well-being to a great degree which is really good as an apprentice. The teams are strong within the company yet easy to become a part of when joining a site.

Be open to meeting new people and put yourself out there so that you gain a variety of experience. Don't just stick to aiming to understand your job role, a QS needs to understand the engineering behind the project just so you understand the costs that you are encountering within the project. Do research on BAM Nuttall as a company, know what projects are taking place and understand the values that the company holds - this is such a good thing to be able to talk about on your interview and also will help you to get an idea what site you'll want to go on first.