Mike

Mike's STORY

Commercial trainee, Kier

Commercial trainee
Kier

Meet Mike, commercial trainee within our Utilities business. Mike is working towards a degree in quantity surveying, whilst working with Kier on high-profile water industry contracts for clients including Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Severn Trent Water. This is what Mike had to say about earning and learning on an apprenticeship at Kier…

Why did you apply for an apprenticeship?

“After studying for my A-levels and juggling a part-time job in retail, I knew I wanted to move into construction. I’d always had a link to the industry through my dad, who ran his own plastering business.

“Due to a pre-existing back injury, I was keen to avoid the manual site work you normally associate with construction and set about looking for an office-based role in the industry. That’s where the Kier Degree programme came in…”

What was it like when you began your apprenticeship?

“In December 2018, I applied and successfully interviewed for Kier Utilities at its Manchester office. As part of my employment, I was enrolled onto a degree apprenticeship in quantity surveying, which would involve a mixture of on-the-job work experience and academic study.

“At first it was a bit daunting being the youngest in the office, but I received a warm welcome and support from my team on day one. I struck up a good rapport with my line manager and other senior estimators who have continued to mentor and guide me.”

What do you enjoy about your role?

“Working in the pre-contract department has exposed me to a wide range of commercial activities and really helped with my degree course. During my time I’ve been luck enough to be involved with some prestigious and successful tenders, such as a £66m sewage treatment upgrade for Thames Water.

“Attending university for my apprenticeship has been invaluable. I get to meet other colleagues from across the business who are doing the same degree and it’s a great mixture of regularly meeting up with people from the other business units including Construction, Utilities, Highways and Infrastructure. There’s a good team spirit where everyone supports one another and shares their experiences.

“I have about two years left before I graduate, at which point I’m hoping to become a fully-fledged quantity surveyor. I’d recommend the degree apprenticeship route for anyone considering a career in the construction industry and you would be hard pushed to find a more supportive and forward-thinking employer like Kier.”