The Level 4 construction design and build technician, BDW Trading – Barratt, talks about apprenticeships, technological advances and his favourite project.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone enrolling onto a construction apprenticeship?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You will never be bothering anyone by showing interest to learn – in fact they will appreciate it. Asking questions will help your development massively.
Do you find it helpful having a mix of academic and practical?
My apprenticeship has helped me massively with my development and will assist me going forward within the industry. It has also prepared me for working within the industry as I have learned on the job within my role.
Within the first two years I have achieved a promotion from technical trainee to assistant engineer.
Which technological advances within the sector are you most excited about?
With rising energy costs and the need to cut carbon emissions, the Energy House 2.0, which is a partnership between the University of Salford, Barratt Redrow, Bellway Homes and Saint-Gobain, is an interesting project which can give us an understanding of how homes of the future can withstand more extreme weather conditions.
It will give us a further understanding of how to reduce carbon emissions that our homes of the future produce with a range of new technologies.
What was your favourite project to work on over the course of your apprenticeship?
Our development at Witham St Hughs in Lincolnshire – The Meadows and Lancaster Grove – was a massive opportunity to learn.
It has had its challenges in terms of services point of connections, service clashes, dealing with an existing road running throughout our development and poor ground conditions.
Pushing to get the site up and running and sticking to build programme even with all these difficulties has made it my favourite.
