Higher apprentice quantity surveyor Review

I am a quantity surveyor. My role involves developing target costs for schemes and forecast costs for said schemes. Once schemes commence I monitor progress on the scheme by liaising with site agents, and ascertain what costs have occurred on site. I also deal with changes in the scope of the works and dealing with these through the contractual processes.

I have developed my organisational skills by working on multiple projects at any one time. Through my university course I am completing alongside this apprenticeship I have learnt about law, economics, project management, and health and safety. I have also engaged in the core skills programme that tarmac offer that have developed soft skills like communication.

I very much enjoy my programme at tarmac. The team are very friendly and supportive in developing my skills associated with the role. The work is varied on the contract I am working on conducting work on a range of pricing options. The programme has exceeded my expectations of working as a QS.

My work programme is very structured. My workplace have given me dedicated days to complete my university course and off the job training obligations. I have regular meetings with my mentor discussing my progress thus far and the next steps for my development. Tasks are delegated in an organised fashion taking consideration of my workload.

I receive lots of support from my mentor and other members of the team with my duties. My line manager has been supportive granting compassionate leave when needed. The HR department representatives for the office have been present in the office, and also available to contact through email and phone

My training provider ARU have been very supportive. They have made it clear where student support services are and how to get in touch. The lecturers have also been readily available to contact and are happy to help. There are regular progress reviews booked to discuss any issues I may have and the progress I've made

The skills I'm learning in my degree have been used in my day to role. The Law component has taught me about dispute resolution and specific types of construction contracts (NEC, JCT etc.). The economics has been valuable considering the economic climate we are in. The project management has helped understand the role an agent has as well as practice QS skills. The H&S module has helped me when visiting site.

Tarmac offers lots opportunities to get involved in social events like coffee mornings and sports teams. They also encourage getting involved in promoting school children to pursue a career in STEM subjects. They also offer opportunities to volunteer at events where you can meet new people. There are social events planned within offices around the Christmas period.

Yes

They offer great opportunities to progress in a career offering varied work. Tarmac also support completing professional qualifications like degrees and chartership in roles. The people are very supportive offering help wherever needed and consider balancing your workload with University work. The employee benefits like holiday buyback and discounts are also nice.

The application process for apprentices is quite a long process, involving a general application, a video interview with recruitment, a telephone interview, before a final interview with your potential line manager. I would take the opportunity to join the event tarmac host for potential apprentices where former apprentices discuss the processes listed above.