Quantity Surveying - Commercial Management Review

My daily role involves managing contracts and commercial aspects of various Sub-Contractor packages e.g. Structural Steelwork, Builder's Work, MEP, Concrete. To manage costs you carry out process such as monthly valuations where you price the works that have been carried out on-site during the month. You also instruct changes to the contract and agree the price of these with both the Client and the Sub-Contractors. This role also involves a lot of negotiating; agreeing the contract terms and prices, cost of variations and final accounts all fall under the role of a QS. You get a lot of exposure to a range of things to work on. No two days are the same.

As someone who came straight out of school without any construction knowledge I have definitely developed my skills and learnt a range of new skills too. From a career/professional viewpoint I have developed my numerical skills, written skills, knowledge of construction technology and other general role specific skills. However, I have also developed/learnt an array of personal skills too such as public speaking/presenting; networking and social skills; and general confidence.

Construction is a very fast paced industry and as someone who enjoys a challenge, I thoroughly enjoy working in construction. For the programme specifically I think it is really well put together. You go to university (day release for me) which helps to break up the week and develop your knowledge in a environment where everyone is learning. This also allows you to network some more and be social. Then you have training within work and Mace provide quite engaging sessions, and these again deliver great knowledge but also provide another opportunity for the apprentices to meet up which keeps the contact there. And finally you have work which provides you with invaluable experience. You will not learn more anywhere else. You are working alongside experts in their field who have worked in the industry for years. Everyone is always more than willing to pass on their knowledge and help you.

The programme is well ran at Mace. In your first year you have a lot more training organised by the emerging talent team however as you start to make your way through the programme, this reduces and you are able to sign on to your own training modules that you feel are relevant to your role or of interest. The only thing I would say is that the group training organised by the emerging talent team do keep apprentices in touch with each other so without these being organised it can be difficult to get everyone together (from a social perspective).

At Mace you receive plenty of support, right from Day 1. You have a buddy who is usually an apprentice who is a few years ahead of you. They are an informal support, so you can ask them any silly questions you have. You then have the other apprentices on your programme who are all going through the same process as you and you develop good friendships with them. The emerging talent team is another great support if you are having issues at university or other personal issues. And you also have your line manager who you generally see every day and they act as your daily support and assist you with your work queries and teach you a lot about your role. Not to mention your wider project team!

At LSBU you are given a tutor however the process of being introduced to your tutor does not seem to exist. LSBU appear to adopt more of a 'come to us if and when you need us' rather than initiating the introduction. It can be quite difficult to arrange this yourself without having met them, especially because you are only on campus one day a week which is usually filled with lectures anyway. Aside from this, the lecturers are generally quite approachable and happy to help with any queries you have. You are not expected to raise your hand in the crowded lecture hall, you can catch them after the lecture which is good. The lecturers are also quite quick in responding to emails.

I would say that there is value in what you learn at university, in particular the contracts module. The lecturers help you to understand some of the reasons why you do things and what they mean. There is definitely a direct link to your role. However I do think that some of the practices taught are a bit out dated and processes on site are quite different e.g. measuring changes on a model rather than a hard copy. I think apprentices would benefit more in modules such as construction technology from actually seeing it out on a site rather than in a lecture theatre.

In terms of Mace as a business there aren't many extra-curricular activities, however at project level, in my experience there are loads (however this will differ from project to project). Since joining Mace there have been numerous opportunities to get involved in 5-a-side football, cricket, bring your dog to work, running club, go karts on site and most recently skydiving. There are also regular professional networking events whether that be project organised, business unit organised or organised by the emerging talent team. Mace are also quite enthusiastic about bringing your ideas to life so if you had your own ideas then they are usually encouraged.

Yes

I would recommend Mace to a friend because of the experience that I have had so far. I think Mace hits every aspect of a career that young people should aspire to have, Career Development ✓ Social and Networking Opportunities ✓ Support ✓ Chance to work on iconic projects ✓ Inclusivity ✓ Competitive Salaries ✓ Flexible Working ✓ You are challenged enough that you constantly feel like you are learning something new but you are supported enough that you can still manage uni, work, training and still have a social life!

If you are thinking about applying to Mace, I would say research them. This is a job application, not a UCAS application. Tell them why you want to work for them in particular, what is their USP is it their iconic projects? Their well structured programme? I would also say try to remember that at this stage you are not expected to know anything about construction, just show that you are passionate and have a drive to learn and be challenged. Best of luck to anyone who is applying !