Henry
- Job title
- Quantity Surveyor
“Doing an apprenticeship I get the experience working for the country’s largest residential property developer, supported by a higher education funded by the company.”
What made you get into a career as a Quantity Surveyor?
The managerial side of construction had always interested me, and when a family member who worked for my company at the time opened up the world of Quantity Surveying to me, I was very much intrigued.
Why did you choose the apprenticeship route?
One of the natural reasons to choose the apprenticeship route is to ‘earn whilst you learn’, but the great thing about my path is that I’m still able to attain qualifications to the same level of a full time student. Hence, I get the experience working for the country’s largest residential property developer, supported by a higher education funded by the company.
What has your training involved and what qualification are you working towards?
Training at my company involves steady career progression, with the basic principles being learned on the job, then developing to greater responsibility to eventually put this into practice. There are many opportunities at my company and to support this, individual development plans are put in place with specific objectives. I joined my current employer at 16, and over the last four years, I have completed a part time Diploma and HNC in addition to my training at work. I am now studying on a day release basis at the University of Greenwich, for a degree in Quantity Surveying, BSc Hons.
What’s the best bit about your job?
There’s a high amount of job satisfaction. For me, this is due to hard work during the pre-construction phase and carrying out procurement of all the trade needed to build a project, assessing cost, quality, quantity. Then being able to physically see what that effort has led to out on site during construction. This also leads towards something greater, which is positively contributing towards the housing market in this day and age.
What would you like to do in the future?
I’m looking forward to completing my degree and progressing further in the industry, the next goal is to Senior Quantity Surveyor and beyond.
Questions & answers
I’m really into music, and love going to gigs and festivals to experience live music. I also enjoy following football, and hope to see Chelsea succeed this season!
Jordan
- Job title
- Trainee Quantity Surveyor
“My employer is the kind of company that is willing to invest in its staff – I’d recommend it to anyone!”
23 year old Trainee quantity surveyor Jordan, joined a house builder in 2014, and is currently working towards his BTEC Level 3 in Construction at Exeter College in Devon.
He said: “I spend two days a week at head office, two days a week on site, and one day a week at college, which makes an interesting week. The experience on site is invaluable. At the moment I’m working on the Fusion site in Paignton, and it’s great to be able to see construction under way, and to have a proper idea of how it all works”.