Apprentice of the Month: Ryan King, Bam Construction

What originally made you decide to start a construction apprenticeship?

I wanted to build a career in an industry that was going to be long-standing and always in high demand. I was particularly drawn to quantity surveying because I do work with numbers. I have a desire for problem solving. I have a strong interest in understanding how the projects progress.

What advice would you give someone thinking about starting a construction apprenticeship?
Make the most of every opportunity to learn, both if you go out on site and in the office. As a quantity surveyor, I’m not on site an awful much, but it’s important to speak to the on-site people, irrespective of if you’re office based or not. 

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even if you think it’s an obvious answer, it’s always good when you’re starting the apprenticeship to ask questions, get the silly questions out of the way, because you learn from that. 

Try to be as organised as possible; having good attention to detail is important within construction, but also the relationships with people. So don’t be afraid to speak to anyone, ask questions and it will all come full circle as eventually people will be asking you questions and it’s quite a nice feeling.

Take every opportunity to shadow people or learn different areas. I think it’s important to speak to everyone.

Apprenticeship gives you the best of both worlds: you’re gaining valuable on-site experience, while also gaining a qualification. By the end of your apprenticeship, you could have five years on-site experience with a qualification, which obviously puts you in better stead than someone with a degree. Apprenticeships are a really strong foundation within the industry to build your career on.

What are your next goals now that you’ve completed your apprenticeship?

I progressed onto my L6CSQ degree in September. I go on to my level 5 and 6 in the degree for the next few years to become fully qualified.