I already had a real interest in going into the construction industry when I saw this opportunity online. I saw this as a chance to get involved in the industry, have additional support from EN:Able Futures, and work around experienced employees. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but knew that, while learning, I could see which different jobs I could enjoy, and this would help succeed in the future.
I always wanted an apprenticeship but found it hard to find any locally that gave me the time to view different departments. Because of this, I did A-levels for a year; but when the opportunity came to leave and get an apprenticeship a year in, I felt this was a step forward and made the decision to stop them and pursue this instead.
One main thing I have achieved so far is working with colleagues who are more experienced, which has helped me to mature and settle in to a working environment better. I have also visited sites and shadowed people as I have been working, which has allowed me to work in different departments and helped me to get a better understanding of the industry as a whole. The main thing I have achieved from this, and will continue to achieve, is seeing which teams I enjoy working within the most. In the long run this will help me massively in choosing the next part of my career and helping me decide the next steps after the 2-year apprenticeship. Since starting I have learnt a lot from college, and I feel like the qualifications I am working towards will help me continue to progress.
The thing I have enjoyed the most is going out to site with the surveyors and watching over their everyday jobs. I enjoy this as it helps me to get involved and makes me feel part of the team. I also like having discussions with people I wouldn’t usually see on a regular basis, which enables me to become more confident when working. Another thing I have enjoyed is attending college, with learning delivered by Leeds College of Building, as the group all get along very well and I have been lucky enough to have great guidance from the teachers, fellow colleagues, and EN:Able Futures.
I am looking forward to seeing what opportunities come up for me after I have completed my apprenticeship. I am still undecided between going to university, getting a full-time job, or further improving with a higher apprenticeship. My hopes and aspirations in the long term are to hopefully become fully educated within construction and have a great knowledge of quantity surveying.