Upon leaving school in 2019, 16 year-old Niall Gaughan knew he did not want to continue his learning in the classroom and instead approached Howard Civil Engineering for an apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying.

‘I was given the opportunity to go straight into work after school, which was very appealing to me,’ he commented. ‘I’d much rather learn on the job than in a classroom, and an apprenticeship at Howard Civil Engineering presented me with the perfect opportunity to do so.’

Niall became a member of the team in September 2019 and has since worked on numerous sites including City Fields, a new housing development for Countryside Homes, and Harworth Roof Tile Factory, a 14.76 hectare site for Persimmon Homes.

Niall has been taken under the wing of Michael Storey, another member of the team who joined HCE at the age of 16 as an apprentice and has since progressed into a full-time Quantity Surveyor.

‘As well as my college studies and other members of the commercial team, Michael has played an important part in teaching me necessary skills and showing me what I need to do,’ he said. ‘He has helped me pick things up very quickly and enjoy learning the trade.’

When asked how his role at Howard Civil Engineering compares to the roles of his college peers, Niall emphasised the options for growth presented at Howard Civil Engineering: ‘I have been given my own project to look after with the help of [Commercial Director] John Cartwright, which allows me to hone the day-to-day demands of the role including meeting deadlines and liaising with subcontractors. My college friends are mostly office-based, whereas Howard Civil Engineering gives me the freedom to go out on site and learn all aspects of the role. This has massively increased my confidence in my role as apprentice Quantity Surveyor.’

Commenting on Niall’s progress, Commercial Director John Cartwright said, ‘Niall has made a great start to his career and has an excellent work ethic & maturity beyond his years. Niall is actively building a sound knowledge of Quantity Surveying principles which will provide a platform to build a successful career.’

Overall, Niall is positive about his future with Howard Civil Engineering and ‘[looks] forward to continuing my studies in further education after college.’ Keep up the fantastic work, Niall!

Follow the journeys of our other apprentices as they train their way to full-time employment here!