This week is National Apprenticeship Week, and we have been speaking with our newest Apprentices and hearing about how they are getting on with their apprenticeship journeys so far.
At Tamdown, we remain committed to growing future talent, with a successful history of apprentices. We are proud to continue developing skilled, motivated individuals who help strengthen our business and the wider society.
We are grateful for the enthusiasm, hard work and fresh perspectives our apprentices bring- and for the positive impact these programmes continue to make on our people, our business and our sector.
Read below to hear more…
Meet Alfie
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
I knew that the University route wasn’t for me. The opportunity to earn while getting hands on experience in an industry, while also working towards a degree was far more appealing.
Did you specifically want to enter the Construction Industry?
Yes, working in the Construction industry is a common theme in my Family, So I have always been interested and keen to work in the industry.
Can you give us a brief summary of your role?
My role as an Apprentice quantity surveyor within the Commercial department focuses on supporting the team with reporting tasks, assisting with Valuations and attending key meetings to develop my understanding of commercial processes. I regularly visit site to observe progress, communicate with the construction team and build practical knowledge of how the commercial function operates.
Has the apprenticeship help you understand more about the industry?
Absolutely, the apprenticeship has given me valuable insight into how different teams work together on site and how commercial processes support construction projects. Regular site visits allow me to observe progress first hand and understand the challenges faced by the construction team. This hands on experience is helping develop my knowledge of the construction industry.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship as it allows you to dive straight into an industry.
Meet Brandon
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
The reason why I chose to be an apprentice is because all my family are in the construction industry and in my eyes, I feel I’m best suited to be working outside on site.
Did you specifically want to enter the Construction Industry?
Yes, all my life I have always been interested in construction my dad being in the trade had a big role in that. I was going to follow in he’s footsteps and work with him, but I also wanted to be independent and when I heard of this apprenticeship, I knew I had to take it.
Can you give us a brief summary of your role?
At the moment I’m shadowing colleges on site and learning how groundworks play a big role in house building. My site manager has said he will look to change what jobs and gangs we work with every now and again so I can learn more about the finishing works and Civils side of things.
Has the apprenticeship help you understand more about the industry?
Yes, it has shown me loads of new and interesting things that I would not have known before unless I took this opportunity.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
Yes, I do recommend this apprenticeship as it has not only helped my health side but also my mental health too. An example of this is before I took this apprenticeship I felt like I had no freedom due to me not getting out a lot which made my communication skills bad, but now I have been working here it has gave me the opportunity to talk to loads of new people. Another great thing about this apprenticeship is that the site managers are always there to talk to no matter what the reason they will listen and help you through anything.
Meet Sam
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
Whilst Finishing my A Levels at Sixth Form, we had a few events held for us to help us get an idea of different ways we can continue our career/education pathways and the one that interested me the most was doing an apprenticeship. I was shown all the benefits that an apprenticeship scheme can hold for me. They then put me in touch with a few ex-apprentices so I could get more of an understanding of what was to follow after choosing to do one.
Did you specifically want to enter the Construction Industry?
At first, I was very unsure on what career path I wanted to go down. Luckily, thanks to sixth form I had been to multiple events where I was able to speak to different industries. This helped me decide that the construction industry was the one that interested me the most. After doing my research into multiple companies, I found Tamdown and saw that they were taking applicants and knowing they supported apprentices I decided to go for it.
Can you give us a brief summary of your role?
My Role within the Procurement Department as a Buyer consists of daily completion of Material Requests sent in by our Site supervisors. I need to ensure that these orders arrive on time, and the best value possible. Meetings and constant communication with manufacturers, suppliers, and colleagues plays a big role to maintain the product quality and smooth processes that Tamdown is known for.
Has the apprenticeship help you understand more about the industry?
Obtaining an apprenticeship at Tamdown has really helped boost my knowledge of the construction industry as every day I am learning new things that I would have never knew if I didn’t choose to do an apprenticeship.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
I would most certainly suggest others to pursue an apprenticeship scheme. You’re earning whilst learning valuable information and work experience in the industry that you have chosen. It was the best option for me to take my career down and would definitely be for others.
Meet Luke
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship seemed like a good way to get a foot in the door to construction. Learning and getting paid.
Did you specifically want to enter the Construction Industry?
I like to work outside, and I like the physical side of work, so construction seemed the best option for me.
Can you give us a summary of your role?
In my role now, I’m shadowing the deep drainage gang. It’s been very interesting so far. My site manager has said he will look to change what jobs and gangs we work with every now and again so I can learn more about construction.
Has the apprenticeship help you understand more about the industry?
Yes, it has, I’ve learnt a variety of skills ranging from Health and safety to groundworks itself, learning on site and in college. Especially with Tamdown who have taught me a lot about values like challenging assumptions and keeping my word.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
Yes, apprenticeships are a great way to learn the skill of your choosing and earn whilst doing so, I would recommend apprenticeships to friends and anyone else.
Meet Ben
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
While I was at Colchester Institute College studying Construction and The Built Environment, I heard a lot about apprenticeships and the benefits that they can bring to the table. I knew that I didn’t want to make the commitment of moving away full time to university, however I still wanted to further my education and attain a degree. With the apprenticeship I could gain valuable real-world experience while also achieving a degree.
Did you specifically want to enter the construction industry?
Yes, after choosing my course at college and a week’s work experience in my first year, I knew that this was the industry I wanted take my career further in.
Can you give us a brief summary of your role?
My role in the Estimating department involves assisting everyone in the team where I can, this may be completing take-offs, printing off packs or helping to create bills of quantities. By completing work on multiple different jobs, it opens my eyes to many different types of drawings and the different ways that they are laid out, this therefore has made me feel more comfortable when dealing with different scenarios.
Has the apprenticeship helped you understand more about the industry?
100%, although I am still early on at 4 months in, combining my on the job learning and university has showed me how different parts of construction that I learn at university are applied to the real world. Working around experienced people has helped me to better my knowledge on estimating and show me the time and effort that is applied on a day-to-day basis.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship. The experience that you gain, while also earning a degree is unmatched. Earning while learning is a great perk and creates a great work-life balance. Specifically, at Tamdown I can say that I have felt welcome from my first day and have been supported throughout to help me learn and build a good start to my career.
