Two BAM Nuttall apprentices tell us about their programmes

Emma Finamore
09 May 2017

BAM NUTTALL’s exciting and varied projects provide the perfect opportunity for school leavers to fulfil their career ambitions within civil engineering. The company’s diverse workforce and inclusive culture is welcoming to all school leavers and gives them the chance to be involved in BAM Nuttall’s long-term vision “to create a sustainable future by bringing engineering to life”. We spoke to two of the company’s apprentices to find out more.

Placeholder — Doing an apprenticeship also gives you a great balance between practical and theory work.

Rhianna Chard, 17, is an apprentice quantity surveyor at BAM Nuttall’s South London Mail Centre in Vauxhall.

We asked her a few questions about why she chose her programme – turns out it’s a bit of a family tradition – the qualifications she’s working towards and her favourite things about the scheme.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

I chose an apprenticeship as my granddad, dad and sister have all completed apprenticeships successfully before me. This has made me determined to do the same. After working from the age of 13 with my granddad, I have always had a working mind-set and wanted to continue this whilst still making progress with my education.

An apprenticeship offered the best of both worlds and the ability to gain work experience whilst earning: apprenticeships offer guidance and support to gain relevant practical experiences as well as a recognised qualification at the end.

Finally, I chose an apprenticeship because the course allows you to become part of a team – with BAM Nuttall in my case – and progress within the business.

Why do you enjoy working for BAM Nuttall?

I chose BAM Nuttall as they are a large company that were encouraging, friendly and warm. They also have very interesting projects due and great success in building trustworthy relationships with staff, subcontractors and clients. BAM Nuttall has offered me the greatest support during my apprenticeship, especially my site team who look after me and give me the opportunities I need to gain my NVQ.

This role has allowed me the chance to gain confidence and develop my personal skills; for example, I was recently asked to present in front of 150 BAM Nuttall suppliers at the London Business Unit Supply Chain Day.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about doing an apprenticeship?

I would say: definitely do it! Once you’re involved in an apprenticeship the opportunities are endless, especially with a big company like BAM Nuttall. Apprenticeships can be for all ages and all academic abilities, so no matter what your situation in life is, an apprenticeship could work for you.

Apprenticeships are increasingly popular and are well regarded – industries now value vocational experience just as much as educational qualifications, so if you can work on both at the same time, why wouldn’t you?

Frederick Hanson Addo is 23 years old and has just finished his Steelfixing Apprenticeship on BAM Nuttall’s C435 Farringdon site – a new Crossrail Station development in central London.

He told us about why his programme was the best way to start a career in civil engineering, what it’s like being part of big projects, and how he wants to promote apprenticeships to other young people.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I chose to do apprenticeship because I knew it was an amazing opportunity to start a stable career in the civil engineering industry.

Doing an apprenticeship also gives you a great balance between practical and theory work.

Why do you enjoy working for BAM Nuttall?

I enjoy working for the company because I get the chance to be a part of projects that are going to have long-term impact on people and places, and the opportunities to progress within the company really excite me.

Having now completed my apprenticeship I am also able to support BAM Nuttall to actively promote trade apprenticeship opportunities, both externally and internally.

What advice would you give to a person who is thinking about doing an apprenticeship?

I would say go at it with everything you have! Ask questions, work hard and listen. You will reap the rewards at the end.

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