Apprentice Quantity Surveyor Review

I get involved in a variety of commercial tasks for the site I am working on as well as going out on site to inspect the works going on which allows me to further my knowledge of the site and gain experience. Most of the work I do is based on spreadsheets and costs, as well as having to procure plant, materials and Personal Protection Equipment for the site team to use as and when required.

I have developed my knowledge of how sites work and what is required for the site to run smoothly and efficiently. I have also been able to expand my skill set in using excel and a variety of other programs that the company uses to completed everyday task. It has also allowed me to develop team building skills as you have to rely on each other to ensure everything comes together and there are no mistakes.

I have really enjoyed my time at BAM Nuttall so far, it has given me a great chance to experience a variety of work and has allowed me to improve my own confidence as there is so much support around for you if you need it. The work is interesting and I work with a great team to ensure things are done correctly. BAM Nuttall as a company has good morals and are very keen for development.

The programme is well structured as you start off doing work at college and are introduced to everyone which allows you to get to know the kind of things you will be doing. After the first college block, we get a year of site experience so that it is a solid amount so we can get to know the workplace well before having to return to college. The training is very good too as you will be sorted out with any required courses before you get to site, therefore you can jump straight in when you start on site.

The employers are very supportive, and there is a network fo different people you can talk to if you need to. For example, I have my line manager, a managing QS, a commercial manager and a QS from another site. I do work for all of these people and I can always talk to any of them if I required help or am unsure of any of the work I am doing and they will talk me through what to do and why we do that.

We receive loads of support from our tutors from the college as well as the apprenticeship manager Gerry who is very supportive, of both work and home life if required. If there are any problems with the training then you can speak to either of the tutors or the apprenticeship manager without having to worry about anything, as they will discuss and sort out any issues that may arise. The tutors at the college are really helpful.

It allows me to learn both academically and practically, this means that I have actual site experience that can be put into practice as well as learning in the classroom about it. The reason this is so beneficial is that it means you can go to any site and know what you need to do and how things are running due to the fact you have both the academic experience and the practical experience on site.

I have been to a careers event for BAM Nuttall and spoken to schools about the course and it seemed like a lot of the kids were really interested in the apprenticeship. It showed how well it advertises itself for all ages and that children are willing to interact with the course to further their goals of a future career in civil engineering. When we were in the college block, we set up a football team as BAM Nuttall.

Yes

It is a great opportunity to have and I consider myself lucky to have got on the course. It has great prospects for a future in civil engineering and gives you a clear path of how to get to where you want to be in the company. It also pays well and you get free education out of it, which for an extra year of free studying, you can gain a full degree for free and get paid to do it.

Just be honest with the employer and make sure you sell yourself as best you can. Take part as much as possible in the assessment days and try and get any onsite experience you can before so that you can say you have worked on site and know that that's what you want to do. Also make sure that you take any opportunities that are given to you by the company as this will give a good impression and give you more experience.