Stephen Bell, Managing director at Gus Robinson Developments had this to say: "In 2014 I started working at Gus Robinson Dev’s. One of the first projects I started working on was this scheme in South Shields. 4 years later & after a lot of hard work from lot’s of people, here it is featured as Inside Housing development of the week"
Rebecca Hodge, 19, from Hartlepool, our trainee Quantity
Surveyor apprentice has offered advice for people thinking of following in her
footsteps by saying: “If you’re thinking about entering into an apprenticeship or
a career in construction there is a lot of room for movement within the
industry. If I wanted to change my role in a couple of years I know I would
have the support to be able to do that. The great thing about my apprenticeship
is it has given me the experience I need. My studies are being funded too so I
have the freedom to go to university when I choose to do so. I’ve also managed
to pay for my own car since I’ve been working at Gus Robinsons and I know that
this job gives me that financial security. I definitely believe I’m in a better
position financially and professionally than other 19 year olds and I owe it to
my apprenticeship.”
Rebecca said: “I first went to a different college to do my
AS-levels and it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t have a firm idea of what I wanted
to be. I had notions of being either a police officer or something involving
geography but really, I didn’t have a clue.
It’s because I didn’t have an idea that I initially looked at
construction. I thought there is such a wide range of prospects available to me
with this career path and that it was a brilliant time for a woman to join the
industry since there is so much encouragement and initiatives. At first, I did my level 3 diploma in
construction and built environment at Hartlepool FE and in my second year I
went part-time, because Ian McNeil, my lecturer had secured me a job at Gus
Robinson.”
Rebecca is now employed full time by Gus Robinson and
attends the college for one day a week to study her HNC. Gus Robinson's supports her through her studies and Rebecca hopes this can lead on to
a degree. She said: “There are others who have been former apprentices like me
and they went on to study a Surveying degree at Northumbria University. Gus
Robinson is great because they will support me through my degree and I plan to
become an assistant surveyor whilst I’m studying.”
Rebecca works alongside the commercial team on a variety of
high-profile schemes across the business.
Rebecca said: “At the moment, I’m not a fully-fledged Quantity Surveyor
but I still work closely with the Commercial Manager, primarily undertaking
what’s known as ‘take offs’, where I take off measurements on plans in order to
keep them within budget and send out quotes to subcontractors. It’s quite an
important role. If I don’t get the right costs for the job then we could lose a
lot of money.”
Gus Robinson Developments and Hartlepool College of Further
Education have a strong working relationship in the past as a number of former
apprentices have taken up roles with the Gus Robinson Developments, including
current Head of Apprenticeships at Hartlepool College, Gary Riches, who began
his career as an apprentice with the company.
