Apprenticeships offer an abundance of opportunity

COMMENT My first experience of the property industry came at the age of 21, when I started working on site as the fourth-generation bricklayer in my family – following in the footsteps of my father, grandfather and great-grandfather. After four years, however, I found the job increasingly frustrating. Not only did I have to battle against the great British weather, but I was also suffering from physical issues resulting from a knee injury and a skiing accident. This made it extremely challenging to earn a consistent living, and I decided to see if I could transfer my construction knowledge into a professional role. Making the change I came across the idea of an apprenticeship by chance while attending an open day at a local university. I met the lead lecturer for all construction-related courses and he introduced me to a degree apprenticeship available at Savills, which combined on-the-job training with part-time online study through the University College of Estate Management. I initially had a few concerns over whether I would fit the corporate mould, but I decided to apply and I was delighted when I was offered the post. Following some encouraging marks for my early coursework and positive comments from colleagues, I quickly settled, but it was not without its challenges. There was a definite adjustment period where I had to reacclimatise to an office and university setting. At first I also found it hard to strike the right balance, often overcommitting to work alongside my studies. In hindsight, I think this was due to my eagerness to impress and not possessing the experience required to know how long tasks would take to complete. Fortunately, I was able to have an open conversation with my line manager and we ring-fenced one day a week that was dedicated to study, during which I would switch on my “out of office” to create a healthy routine and manage the expectations of colleagues. Course of study My first year and a half of study consisted of general modules on topics such as property and land law, people and organisational management, finance and resource management, and economics. All of this was new to me, and provided useful knowledge as I started to take more responsibility and work directly with clients. Later modules were more specific to building surveying and tied directly into the work I was doing, covering subjects such as inspection methods, building defect analysis, design and specification, environmental science, project and cost control, construction technology, legal and regulatory compliance (health and safety, Building Regulations and planning), feasibility studies, dilapidations and party wall matters. Five years on, I have now passed my degree with first-class honours and I am working towards my APC, which I hope to complete this year. Bright future The apprenticeship programme has been a wonderful opportunity. However, it is a long-term commitment which you have to be sure about before applying. As someone who learns best through a hands-on approach, it was absolutely the correct decision for me. Having the ability to earn a wage while studying was a huge benefit, and I have been fortunate to work alongside, learn from and have the support of a hugely experienced and talented team of surveyors. With five years’ experience “on the job”, I’m also more confident in the workplace and I’ve been able to establish a strong professional network of clients and colleagues – something that I wouldn’t necessarily have had the opportunity to do had I gone to university. While I haven’t looked much beyond becoming a chartered building surveyor, I’m excited to see what might be next. The work I’ve been able to do – from preparing a specification of works and managing a contract through to a variety of building surveys and reporting to clients – has been hugely varied and will stand me in good stead for the rest of my career. I also enjoy the responsibility of growing our client base and broadening our fee income. For anyone who is thinking of applying for an apprenticeship, I would say don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and be inquisitive. I attended an open day in 2018 and asked lots of questions, which at the time was way outside my comfort zone. In hindsight, it was the best thing I could have done. You never know what opportunities might be just around the corner. Adam Stride is a building surveyor at Savills