Assistant Commercial Manager (Construction) Review

by Mace

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

7.2/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Procurement and tendering of Sub-Contract work packages which are later commercially managed on site in terms of contract administration, valuations, change control and settlement of final accounts. I am also heavily involved in cost reporting in terms of Sub-Contractor interim liabilities, final projected forecasted spends, and reconciling cost against value (CVR).

9/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

I have learnt the fundamentals of the construction quantity surveyor's role, legal obligations and general etiquette pertinent to working within a large organisation.

9/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I feel that I am always improving, which is very important to me, so yes I really enjoy the programme.

9/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Very well structured, lots of training is provided by the Mace Emerging Talent team which has been engineered to support our jobs roles and university/college studies. This training is front-loaded so that the first year and second year apprentices receive the most training, which makes sense to suit their needs.

9/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

I feel that this programme facilities a large and consistent degree of growth, on the basis that you seek out the opportunities presented to you and peruse them. Mace certainly have the support systems in place to ensure that each apprentice becomes a competent manager before the end of the programme. HR support is very good and all of the line managers which I have had have been very supportive of my development.

9/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

To be completely honest, London Southbank University have gotten progressively worse in terms of the support (or lack-thereof) they have provided me in completing my degree. They did not inform the majority of students that there was a requirement to complete "20% off-the-job training", and to log and provide evidence until 3 and a half years into the 5 year programme. They are always late to mark assignments and exams, and once they are marked the feedback is never clear enough to be able to learn from any mistakes you have made. The quality of teaching has massively diminished to simply reading PowerPoint slides (this was the case pre-covid too). I would learn so much more just working the extra day each week.

1/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

Honestly, not at all. I would learn more by having the extra day at work each week. In my opinion the degree is merely a prerequisite to obtain RICS chartership. Its a formality which should not be confused with actual educational benefit to the student.

2/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Yes, loads. Even through covid lockdowns, there have been a lot of Zoom and MS Teams social events and networking opportunities to get involved in, accessible to all apprentices, graduates and Mace staff in general.

10/10

9a. Would you recommend Mace to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Mace is an excellent company to work for, with endless opportunities as long as you are willing to work hard and be a diligent employee.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Mace?

Be prepared to learn. You will not be expected to know a lot about construction or the role which you have applied for, but it is important that you are keen to learn and improve over time. It is not Mace's responsibility to make you keen to learn, that needs to come from you, the apprentice.