James Pratt is assistant quantity surveyor, Level 3 construction support technician, at Barratt Developments
Which technological advances in the sector are you most excited about?
Modular and offsite construction. You’re saving time on site, and on a lot of the premiums. It also enables a lot of work to happen at the same time. Different areas of the building could be constructed on different sides of the country then come together like a big puzzle.
What was your favourite project to work on over the course of your apprenticeship?
It was a graphical detailing and construction. It consisted of a lot of hand drawings all the way from different plans like foundation scales, section drawings, site block plans and then we learned about all the different techniques to hit the British standards associated with all of them.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone enrolling onto a construction apprenticeship.
“Having exposure to each role can show you different areas you’ve never really thought about, which you might prefer.”
Take each unit or project with an open mind. Having the exposure to each role can show you different areas you’ve never really thought about before, which you might actually prefer.
How did you arrive at construction apprenticeship?
My dad’s a carpenter, so I’ve always had an exposure to the industry and I worked with him for a year and a half doing carpentry, but I always knew I didn’t want to work on site. I like working with money; quantity surveying was kind of a mixture of both.
But the apprenticeship exposed me to so many different roles within the construction industry, which I just didn’t know existed.
What are your future career ambitions?
I’d like to continue working through the commercial department. I enjoy being involved with all the costs associated with completing developments and procuring the right trades.
