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Feature www.thefis.org 15 Matthew explained as part of the T Level he had now been in his work placement at MAC-Group for a year. He said: “I am grateful for this excellent opportunity and this has given me valuable experience and knowledge of the construction industry. I am thoroughly enjoying my time at MAC-Group, and I am looking forward to expanding the knowledge I have already gained further in the coming year”. Matthew mentioned how great it was to work closely with Paul Stone, Senior Quantity Surveyor at MAC-Group, and said: “Paul has provided me with an understanding of his role and important knowledge of the construction industry. He taught me about what tasks a Quantity Surveyor has to do on a daily basis, the important role they play in a construction project, and key skills including attention to detail and to use your initiative. To test what I have learned I was given tasks such as quote comparisons and re-measures of drawings. sites and gain massive experience in the installation of SFS on some prestigious projects in the Midlands. We discussed how the sites have altered since he started his career and he explained he enjoyed being on a site more now than ever as he has a varied role and gets involved in a lot of more tasks. He did mention there were more restrictions when it comes to things such as Health & Safety however, stated that it is important and he understands the changes are in place to keep the workers safe. Corey concluded by saying: “I would certainly take the same route into the sector again. I would advise all employers of apprentices to support and encourage them ensuring their learning is progressing as expected. Listen to their needs and ensure they are happy in their role and with the business. Have a plan so that when the apprenticeship is completed where possible and needed the business retains their skills. Do not treat them poorly and give them menial jobs to do all the time. The apprentices need to be consistent, work hard, and have an excellent attitude to learn. Both the apprentice and employers need to acknowledge that when the apprenticeship is completed and the person is qualified to retain the individual they need to be doing jobs that a qualified person would do and not the same jobs they were doing as an apprentice”. My job and the sector have enabled me to have an excellent work life balance and make purchases that I would never have believed were possible including my house, a great car and holidays”. www.taylorhart.co.uk www.drywallcontracts.co.uk Matthew Jolly , tells us about studying a T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning at DCG (Derby College Group) and his aspirations to become a Quantity Surveyor. When asked about the courseMatthew said: “The course has allowedme to gain practical knowledge of the construction industry, as I attend a work placement one day a week at MAC-Group. When I have finished the TLevel course, I hope to then obtain a degree apprenticeship. I believe amongst other things this apprenticeship will provideme with further knowledge of the construction industry which I believe is essential to understand and conduct a specific role”. I found this extremely useful and this helped me to further understand the role of a Quantity Surveyor”. Matthew concluded: “I am looking forward to the year ahead as I gain a more in-depth understanding of the construction industry and the role of a Quantity Surveyor”. We asked the MAC-Group their opinion of the T Level qualification and they explained. It is something we were very happy to embrace and feel is well needed in all industries. The mix of both “classroom learning” and work experience is giving students the opportunities to put their learning into practice and develop their skills and knowledge. It will undoubtedly help to plug the significant skills gap in our industry. This has given the opportunity to capture students who may be more practical and technical to fulfil a qualification equivalent to three A Levels with the option of further studies. www.mac-group.com Matthew Jolly is studying a T-Level in Design, Surveying and Planning