Construction Trainee Review

I am trainee quantity surveyor, I undertake monthly project valuations on the projects that I am running alongside a fellow quantity surveyor. I also measure variations and make contract amendments. I liaise with the main contractor on a weekly basis. I also do board report documents monthly regarding the retention money that is held.

When I first began my apprenticeship, I didn't know anything about construction. I can now price a full steelwork, cross laminated timber or glulam project due to my three years in estimating. I am more confident with communicating with other team members and external clients. I am now able to share my knowledge with our youngest trainees.

I enjoy the learning and doing aspect. I think working for a subcontractor and then learning about main contractors at university has allowed me to have a well rounded knowledge. I enjoy the social aspect of university in terms of mixing with other people in the industry and learning from their strengths. I enjoy learning about other peoples roles and how they produce work.

My programme wasn't that organised to begin with due to being the first apprentice at my office in terms of the chartership. However, my company have been extremely accommodating. The university course has been extremely structured with a timeline of events made present at the beginning of each year.

My employer are very accommodating to my university schedule, they provide me with my exam and revision leave that help me with my studies. The HR team are very helpful with any concerns regarding the course and answer any questions regarding standard forms or progress that needs to be made.

In general the support is quite good, however there is some instances where feedback hasn't been to the highest of qualities. This therefore hinders the quality of the following piece of work. They are accessible by emails which is good, but more availability for the part-time students to arrange one to ones would be good.

By learning at the same time as undertaking my day to day role, I am exposed to a lot more knowledge. Through seminar discussions, I can also listen to my peers comments and apply this in my job. There has been many times that I have used my university work to reference too in my job.

I do get involved with the social events at the company. Everyone is always very welcoming and I feel like I have fitted in straight away. We often have company quizzes and meals together to bring the team together. We also go on walks during our lunch breaks together too.

Yes

I would recommend B&K due to the family values which are held to a high standard. I enjoy being part of good team. They are very knowledgeable and adhere to any need. They have been very supportive through tough times and are one of the top companies within the industry.

I would advise to put as much as you can on your CV to ensure that they are getting to know the real you. It is okay if you don't have any experience, just make sure you are dedicated and open to learning. The main thing to bare in mind is that hard work can take you a long way, this is the main thing they look for.