Quantity Surveying student, Bernard ‘Fredy’ Siewe, is settling into life as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor at Esh Construction as his placement year from university gets underway.
Aged 20 from Leeds, Fredy is studying BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying at Sheffield Hallam University. After completing his second year at university, he has recently joined Esh to complete a year-long placement to gain experience in the industry and enhance his studies.
Fredy is working within Esh’s civil engineering division on the Sheffield Road and Maltby Bus Corridor project in Rotherham. The £6.4 million project, delivered in partnership with Rotherham Council, will improve bus, cycling and walking connectivity into Rotherham town centre by creating an active travel corridor.
Originally aspiring to become an optometrist, Fredy then made the switch towards a career pathway in the construction industry. He said: “In college, I studied A-Level Maths, Psychology and Biology with a view to becoming an optometrist however I didn’t quite get the grades. My dad is a bricklayer and I have been working on sites since I was young with him, which I always enjoyed, so it was something I was happy to consider instead.
“I researched jobs in construction and learnt a lot about the different roles in the industry. When I started my research, I didn’t know what a Quantity Surveyor was. I looked at the roles of site manager, construction manager, and others. However, it was the role of the Quantity Surveyor that interested me. I have always been good with maths, so being able to apply my knowledge of construction with the ability I have in maths has led me to where I am today.”
With the knowledge and skills learnt so far at university, Fredy is looking forward to applying his knowledge on-site. He said: “At university, I have learnt about take-off measurements, which is a skill I can use on site. But, there are many new skills for me to learn and develop. I am excited to build on my knowledge of construction contracts and learn how they work within a professional environment.”
For a smooth transition into the company, Fredy was able to work alongside Charlie Seargent who joined Esh last year for his year-out placement from Huddersfield University. Fredy said: “It was great to work alongside Charlie for a week as he was able to pass on all the knowledge he had learnt in this role in the last year. He demonstrated how to do different processes like payment and contract revision. The handover week definitely helped me settle into the role and made life easier for me.
“I am looking forward to the next year to build on my quantity surveying skills and knowledge of civil engineering while also working on a professional construction site, working with site engineers, site management and external clients.”
I am looking forward to the next year to build on my quantity surveying skills and knowledge of civil engineering while also working on a professional construction site, working with site engineers, site management and external clients.”
