Martha Penney is a quantity surveyor, Level 6 construction, at Barratt Redrow
What was your favourite project to work on over the course of your apprenticeship?
A site at Macclesfield. It’s the biggest site that I’ve worked on since I’ve been there and it’s the flagship site for the [rental homes] division. I took it from very, very early on – we’d just started getting the roads and sewers into it. It was quite technically and commercially complex; it’s on a hill and was a remediation job. We came up against a lot of of issues and I learned a lot from all the problems we had.
What is one piece advice that you’d give to someone enrolling on to a construction apprenticeship?
Say yes to every opportunity. There’s no better way to learn and progress in your career
other than just to say “yeah, I’ll give that a go” and get out of your comfort zone.
Has that positive attitude brought you opportunities?
I’ve actually moved into a different role as a result of meeting different people that I’ve said yes to. I’ve done lots of different networking with loads of different people from all over the business. I’ve done a lot of work out in schools and been on the radio and in the newspaper. That was all just because I said yes.
How do you feel the apprenticeship has prepared you for your career in the industry?
It’s helped me to learn theory and how to apply it. I didn’t come from a construction background, so I came in quite blind to what construction was like. If I’d just experienced classroom learning then come into industry it would have been difficult to marry up the two. And I’ve been able just to ring people and get help, which you just wouldn’t get if you’re not on an apprenticeship route.
What do you think is the most important issue facing the industry at the moment?
The skills shortage is a big one for me. Yes, we’re short of people on site, but there is a shortage of people in the industry as a whole.
For example, the planning reforms are going to help us address the housing shortage but where are all the planners? Where are all the people skilled and knowledgeable enough to process all of that information? All the new sustainable ideas: where are the skills of the people researching them? Where are the people who know the technical details?
What are your future career ambitions and where would you like to end up?
I’ve changed roles so I’m a private rented sector manager now for Barratt Group. Barratt is working with investors to do multi-unit deals and sell big chunks of site for private rental to help ease the rental crisis. I think I would like to be a director within Barratt; there are opportunities in this role and it’s a new and expanding area of the business that we’re looking to grow.
