Brad Lines
After completing an apprenticeship in carpentry Brad wanted to push himself further and has now become the first person to attain the Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor (CSS) apprenticeship with NHBC and Redrow.
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Employee Case Study
Brad Lines, Redrow: NHBC's Apprenticeship Scheme
- Name
- Brad Lines
- Company
- Redrow
- Apprenticeship
- Construction Site Supervisor
After completing an apprenticeship in carpentry Brad wanted to push himself further and has now become the first person to attain the Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor (CSS) apprenticeship with NHBC and Redrow.
Background
After leaving school Brad worked in retail before becoming a carpentry apprentice for 2 and a half years with Redrow. He then became a Trainee Assistant Site Manager while also working towards the CSS apprenticeship, also with Redrow.
Brad hadn’t planned to do another qualification but realised the CSS apprenticeship was a good opportunity to broaden his skills. With a little encouragement from his site manager and the wider team he started the apprenticeship in February 2021.
We spoke with 21 year-old Brad to find out about his experience completing an NHBC Apprenticeship…
- How are you finding your apprenticeship Brad?
I started my NHBC apprenticeship in February 2021 and have so far found it extremely rewarding. It is hard work and there is quite a lot to juggle but overall I have found the last few months extremely enjoyable.
- What is your background?
I began my career working as a site apprentice carpenter for just over two years, which involved roofing, first and second fixing. I then moved to Redrow and have been here ever since; I love it.
A career in construction has always appealed from on-site activity, learning and development and also the management side of things.
- How are you finding the assessment procedure?
Although the virtual learning is not the same as face to face, the process of undertaking the apprenticeship has been really well run. I like learning at home and the NHBC assessors have been very knowledgeable and have guided myself and the other apprentices seamlessly through what we need to be doing – all while remaining professional and helpful. I have to say I am looking forward to hopefully having some in-person sessions when the time allows.
- Would you recommend an NHBC Apprenticeship scheme to others?
I would definitely recommend the NHBC Apprenticeship to anyone with an interest in construction, new homes or further education. It is a great way to learn and provides a really good balance between learning and hands-on activity which will ultimately further my career.
- And finally – as one of the youngest NHBC apprentices - what is your overall dream career-wise?
I am very keen to become an assistant site manager and hope that what I’m currently learning will help me on my journey. So far, so good – fingers crossed I am able to keep up this progress.
Brad has now completed his CSS apprenticeship and everyone at NHBC would like to congratulate him on this achievement.
"My favourite thing has been learning enough to bein and then go on to complete a site phase. I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing something through from start to finish, I’ve been proud to look back at what we’ve done as a site team and it means a lot to me personally that we are creating homes for people."
Getting the right support
As the CSS apprenticeship is an accelerated program getting support from the employer is key. Teaching is done virtually via day-release, but there’s also learning on the job and off-the-job training too.
Brad said "Having the NHBC day-release for virtual learning was essential for me, I wouldn’t have been able to do this effectively on site as the environment is just too busy. And being able to do other courses that supported my learning, like first aid and fire safety with Redrow all helped me build my knowledge and skills during my apprenticeship."
Prinal Shah, New Entrants and Apprenticeships Manager, said "Everyone at Redrow is delighted for Brad and being the first finisher is a testament to all the hard work he has done to achieve this qualification. The Level 4 CSS apprenticeship has been a great option for those looking to progress to a Site Supervisor role at a time when we not only want to get more people into construction but also support those already in the industry to progress."
I’ve enjoyed the course and I really liked the mix of one-to-one support and the chance to learn on your own.
It’s been great and the NHBC assessors very helpful. The online learning portal has been easy to use and is where we can upload examples of our work and complete tests and coursework.
I have enjoyed learning about the house-building processes. It’s filled so many gaps I had in my knowledge and it’s good to now be able to walk around the site being able to apply this new knowledge in reality.
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