Career Story – Harrison Stone (Trainee Quantity Surveyor)

Harrison Stone, Assistant Quantity Surveyor, Plymouth

Career Story – Harrison Stone (Trainee Quantity Surveyor)

Harrison Stone, Assistant Quantity Surveyor in the WWA Plymouth office, shares his career story:

How did you get into construction?

Once I had completed my A-Levels, I left college with little idea of the career path I wanted to pursue.

The construction industry had always appealed to me and after some research, I decided I would apply to the Skills Group in the hope of finding an apprenticeship in this sector.

The Skills Group specialises in routes to employment via apprenticeships with top local employers.

After discussing my options, I decided that rather than being onsite, I would suit the consultancy side of construction. Skills Group advised me of an apprenticeship place that was available at Ward Williams Associates, located in their Plymouth office. I met the qualification requirements and was invited to interview. I was offered the job and started my NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration.

After 12 months, I had completed my apprenticeship. WWA acknowledged my understanding of cost management and therefore, employed me as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor. Four years down the line, I have since achieved the following accreditations; Certificate in Surveying, Diploma in Quantity Surveying, Foundation Degree in Quantity Surveying and am now studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying at The College of Estate Management through flexible learning, to support my work experience.

What is the day job?

My day to day job involves several different roles across WWA’s Plymouth.

I have produced and assisted colleagues in completing cost plans and estimates for potential projects, acted as Assistant Employers Agent on residential schemes for Housing Associations, and worked on numerous Monitoring Surveying projects for Banks who are providing loans for developments.

Why should young people go into construction?

The Construction Industry offers many different career paths for young people. These can range from onsite trades such as a bricklaying, ground works and roofing to being predominantly office based, in consultancy roles such as Quantity Surveying, Project Management and Building Surveying.

If the construction industry is of interest, there are a number of routes on offer to help you develop your career, including diplomas, NVQs (part/full time college) or university courses.

To promote the career opportunities available in the industry, I have been able to represent WWA at an Apprenticeship Fair for Building Plymouth. Building Plymouth helps to promote opportunities to young people within this sector in an area that is experiencing regeneration and wide scale redevelopment.

What are your aspirations for the future?

My aspirations for the future are to continue with my Bachelor’s Degree and once complete, look to become chartered by doing my Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).

I also hope to continue to support the growth and development of WWA’s business in Devon and be involved in significant local schemes, whilst establishing myself as a key member of the team for the future.

If you are interested in careers in construction, please visit our current vacancies page.