Apprentice Quantity Surveyor Review

As an apprentice QS I work alongside a senior QS to look at the different aspects of cost reporting. I report the cashflow, accruals, and forecasts on behalf of the team of QS's I work in and will soon have my own subcontractor to manage.

I have quickly developed a strong set of financial reporting skills that I previously did not have that will help me greatly in my career. I have also further expanded on my open collaboration and communication skills as I work with QS's within my own team and other teams.

I am thoroughly enjoying my apprenticeship right now. I am enjoying the responsibilities and freedom that I am given within my role as it allows me to work hard and develop my skills. Most people recognise you are learning so offer support and guidance which makes the role more enjoyable.

The programme is well structured with a 9 week college block and then the rest of the year on site and this is repeated in the second year. This is good because it allows you to get the college aspect done and focus then on your role on site.

BAM have been good in providing support. I have had a few queries which I have emailed the apprenticeship manager about and he has responded within a day and solved them for me. BAM also offer a mentoring programme which provides you with a mentor to meet with every month.

Leeds College of Building have been great. I have a meeting every month with my assessor to run through the evidence of the skills I am gaining where he also offers guidance. He also continually sends out reading material to aid my knowledge and skills that contribute to the qualification.

By doing the college block early and getting the knowledge on different things like health and safety, contracts, tendering etc, I can then take these skills straight into my role and apply them as I already have the knowledge now. This means my performance at work is better.

With Covid-19 this has been hard but currently there is a starting blocks community for those in the business who are still gaining their qualifications to meet virtually and network. This means we can share knowledge with each other but also socialise and talk to people.

Yes

I have thoroughly enjoyed my apprenticeship so far and feel like BAM as an employer are very supportive and provide you with everything you need to be successful and progress as a person professionally. Even before we started they held multiple calls with us to ensure we were happy.

Do it! It is a great company to work for. When applying be yourself. BAM have a core set of values which are important to them so think of examples where you have used these and include them in your application.