Trainee Quantity Surveyor Review

One of my main roles is the management of several subcontract orders. I’m often involved from procuring the subcontractor (e.g. distributing subcontract enquiries and chairing pre-start meetings) to making payments, all the way through to the final account. I am also beginning to get involved in cost reporting.

I believe my communication and people skills have improved drastically since starting this apprenticeship. I have to effectively communicate with various different people within the industry, in doing so becoming more confident. I also believe my time management skills and ability to prioritise tasks have improved.

I enjoy the programme and can clearly see the benefits I will get upon completion. There is a lot of pressure, particularly on the Level 5/6 as the education gets harder and I get more responsibilities at work.

The Level 4 works well, as the 9 week blocks allow you to handover your tasks on site and completely focus on your education with little distractions. I think the organisation of the Level 5/6 could be slightly better, as we get less contact time with the lecturers at Level 4, despite the content being more difficult to learn. The study blocks are also only 1 week at a time, so it is hard to get away from my day to day tasks and completely focus on my studies. However, this year we have been given study weeks which has alleviated some of this pressure.

I get lots of support from my colleagues at work on a day to day basis. My site holds monthly forums for employees in the early stages of their careers to gain knowledge about different parts of the industry from experienced professionals. I am also encouraged and feel comfortable to ask to undertake new experiences/challenges, knowing it will be acted on. If I have exams or deadlines coming up, they also allow me to have extra study time so that I can keep on top of my education. However, I feel there is room for improvement for support from the Early Careers team. There is little to no communication from them, and it can take a while for emails to be responded to. We are often left in the dark when it comes to the progression of the apprenticeship, promotions and upcoming study blocks. I often end up getting this information from the education provider. I was also told a week in advance of my first site placement that I would be working at a location 2-3 hours away from home, giving me little time and no support finding accommodation.

The support from the training provider, Leeds College of Building, is excellent. The lecturers are clearly all knowledgeable in their respective fields and are always happy to help and contactable, even outside of timetabled study weeks. As previously mentioned, they go above and beyond helping us find out about the apprenticeship progression and upcoming study blocks, and hold frequent meetings with my colleagues at work to ensure I am getting an adequate experience. The Leeds College if Building team also help to make sure you are on track with your End Point Assessment, holding plenty of progress meetings and workshops.

I feel as though I have gained important information/knowledge in the construction industry. One thing I would say is that the course is tailor made for residential and commercial building constructions, which is not really relevant to my day to day job being in the Civil Engineering sector.

There are plenty of forums and roadshows that can be attended, which are great for networking. Now and then we also have social events after work. The number of extra curricular activities will depend on the site you work on.

Yes

BAM are a really good company to work for, and everyone I have come across cares about your development and well-being within the business. Being a leader in the industry, the experience that can be gained on some of the UKs most high profile projects is second to none. I have made a lot of good mates, especially during the college block, and would recommend choosing BAM for anyone interested in a career in construction.

Make sure you have researched the company before writing your CV and attending the interview/assessment centre. Be prepared to live away from home during the week, as most people I know have had to do so at some point during their apprenticeship.