Assistant QS Review

I'm mainly involved in procurement and subcontract management. I will pull together the information required to go out to tender, and assist in choosing a subcontractor to go into contract with. I will set up the contract and monitor the progress in order to assess and make payment for their work

Communication is probably one of the biggest skills, as there are numerous interfaces, such as within the commercial team, the site team, subcontractors and the client. I have also developed skills in various different software which help me to complete my job. On bigger jobs, its quite easy to get stuck in a cycle of just completing payments which can hinder development.

I have enjoyed the experience to date. I have met many different people on site and at college and gained a wide variety of experience and knowledge either at college or from colleagues. There is a lot of support in the business for junior employees, and I have made good mates with a lot of the other apprentices.

I think the organisation of the programme works well. For the first 2 years, there are 2 x 9 week blocks, with a year long period on site in between. This enabled me to gain a lot of experience and get used to BAM's systems without interruption and distraction from any college work. It is also useful that you can hand over your workload when on the 9 week blocks which enables you to focus on your college work. The final 3 years on the degree are 8 x 1 week blocks every few weeks. I think this can get difficult balancing Uni work with work on site, as by this point you have a lot of responsibility and expectations. Despite being challenging, its rewarding continually contributing and seeing site work progress, at the same time as completing the different units at Uni.

I think there is good support from BAM. On site there are plenty of people you can talk to for support with work if you are struggling. If you have a good work ethic, and willing to learn, people have a lot of time for you. The Early Careers team organise our blocks and hotels for uni in advance and provide sufficient communication regarding opportunities. If you have questions or require support from them, it is easy to get in contact with them.

I have had plenty of support from Leeds College of Building. The lecturers are easily contactable and able to provide support if I have any queries regarding the units, exams or assignments. We get a lot of contact time with them, making the most of the 1 week blocks. We are also assigned a member of staff that holds regular updates to see how we are doing with our CPD logs, competencies and Off The Job Hours in order to complete the apprenticeship. They also push you or the employer, if you are starting to fall behind in any areas.

I think that the qualification is tailored towards construction, rather than Civil Engineering, which is mainly what is involved on a BAM job so there are some differences between what I learn and what I do on site. Despite this, I see the relevance and can make the links between the two, and it is useful/interesting information to know, even if I don't use it on a day to day basis. In the future there could be construction elements to a job I'm on. I also don't believe there is a specific civil engineering course for QS's.

There are plenty of professional networking events which can be attended through your site. The site I'm on runs forums with the junior staff and the wider commercial team. There are also opportunities to participate in organised sports matches. At college, we tend to organise a lot of social activities between ourselves in the evenings, such as meals out, watching football, flight club etc.

Yes

I think higher apprenticeships are great opportunities. You gain experience in the industry whilst undertaking your qualification, and it is paid for by BAM and the Government so it will make you employable and you don't end up in a load of debt. Unlike a lot of apprenticeships, as long as you apply yourself correctly, there will be a job for you at the end of the apprenticeship, unlike a lot of employers. BAM are involved on some of the biggest jobs in the UK which will look great on your CV, and there is a big support network to help you complete your apprenticeship. I've met lots of good people at BAM and have made mates with a lot of the apprentices.

I think its good to have a drivers license, however you can get by without one. One thing to note before applying is that there is a possibility you will have to move away from home when you start on site. BAM will support you with this to identify locations to move to and you will be entitled to a living away allowance, to help cover the cost of renting and bills. They will also cover the cost to travel to and from home for the weekend. When applying, I'd suggest researching the company and what the role you're applying for entails, to show that you are keen to work for BAM.