Quantity Surveying students given real-life insight into the construction industry
Final year Quantity Surveying students were invited by leading construction company Volker Fitzpatrick to attend 'A Week in the Life of a Quantity Surveyor'.
By Ruth Melling | Published on 16 October 2024
40 Final year Quantity Surveying students were invited by leading construction company, VolkerFitzpatrick to experience 'A Week in the Life of a Quantity Surveyor ', designed to provide real-life insight into the role of a Quantity Surveyor.
The event was led by NTU graduates currently working for VolkerFitzpatrick, Hayden Scarth, Nick Lamb and James Cregan. Over three days, the team provided Quantity Surveying students with workshops, site visits, and set industry-related tasks.
On the first day, Hayden and Nick set the scene by talking about the local history around the A38(M) Aston Expressway Tame Valley Viaduct site, where VolkerFitzpatrick is currently strengthening the existing viaduct.
They explained to students the importance of the project and described general surveying practices undertaken each day. Specifically, they discussed the change management process, application for payment, and procurement procedures.
Speaking about his involvement, meeting and hosting workshops for NTU students, Hayden Scarth said:
“We were approached by NTU after they identified that final year students who have had no industry experience were not generally achieving such high grades as those who had. The event not only provided the chance for students to meet an experienced and knowledgeable team but also gave them a fresh, modern, and current insight into the world of construction.”
On the second day, Hayden presented an interactive workshop about procurement to a group of 20 students. This provided an opportunity for them to work in small groups and to compose an ‘invitation to tender’ for their own package of works.
It sparked plenty of conversation about the types of documents, assumptions, requirements, and attendances that may be required. Each team then presented their package to the rest of the group.
At the same time, the other 25 students joined Amber Ellis at the A38(M) site for a walking tour of the project and afterwards a change management workshop.
The workshop involved drafting and issuing contract notices, quantifying, and then valuing additional works using the students’ measurement skills learnt at university.
Both groups swapped over the next day with the remaining 20 going to site and the rest attending the workshop.
Reflecting on what the experience meant for Quantity Surveying students, Course Leader Wayne Clarke said:
“We would like to thank the Volker Fitzpatrick team for supporting the Week in the life of the QS Programme. The programme is in its third year now and has developed into a fantastic experience for our Final year full-time QS students. The students have embraced the experience with fantastic attendance in the sessions, both on site and on campus. We appreciate the efforts that they have gone to assist us with course material and also the logistics of getting to and around the site safely. We at NTU are fortunate to have a really supportive Strategic partner in Volker Fitzpatrick, so a big thank you from us all at NTU.”
Amrit Sagoo, Head of NTU's Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying added:
“I want to say a big thank you to everyone for your tremendous assistance and invaluable input leading up to the event. Students gave very positive feedback. I hope that this event has instilled positive energy in our finalists and ignited a new passion for them to engage with their chosen career path while also embracing the challenges they face in their final year of studies. Your assistance is greatly appreciated, and excellence cannot be hidden!"
Finally, Penny Hayton NTU Employability Careers Coach commented:
"Our employability workshop was designed to help students reflect on their career planning and next steps. The students engaged well in a range of activities including a labour market quiz and a MyEmployability treasure hunt, through which they reviewed the skill requirements for live quantity surveying job vacancies and discovered several employers who will be attending NTU’s upcoming Built Environment Fair. A number of the students were keen to get their CVs up to date and I had a great conversation with one student about how he could showcase the transferable skills he had gained from a different sector to make them appealing to construction employers. Overall, the participation in the session was excellent. It was a pleasure to be part of this programme."
Find out more about the students' experience at VolkerFitzpatrick.