Bally Gill
Age: 24
Trade: Business Administrator
Apprenticeship: Level 3 Business Administration
Background: Before Bally found his apprenticeship with K10 he was working with a local charity doing volunteer work as well as working in Marks and Spencer’s. He found it hard to find a job that would result in him starting a career in what he wanted due to lack of qualifications, so he decided to apply for an apprenticeship in construction.
What happened next: Bally originally applied to K10 to start a Groundwork apprenticeship but once other routes of progression throughout construction were explained, he chose to do a Business Administration Apprenticeship and went on to complete his Level 2 and Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship with us.
During the Apprenticeship: ‘Throughout my Level 2 and Level 3, I was placed on site with ISG plc at Kew Garden’s working on a prestigious Victorian greenhouse. This was an ideal location for me as I lived in Isleworth and made getting to work so easy, especially as an apprentice. During my apprenticeship, I was able to develop the skills I had already as well as gain new ones such as my speaking and negotiating with clients and contractors and improving day to day organisational skills. I was able to find a clear path from my daily activities and discover what it was I wanted to do with my future as well as gain formal qualifications. Working with ISG was a really great experience for me. I went in doing a business administration apprenticeship and after two months of being on site I was assisting the quantity surveyors on a regular basis. They took me under their wing and showed me how to work out cost value procedures, showed me how projects worked with certain clients, I learned how JCT and NEC 
contracts work which are the main contracts used in construction. I had two really supportive site managers and they constantly encouraged my learning on site.
The college I was with I really liked too. My assessor always ensured I had a good understanding of work I had to complete. They were always supportive, keeping to regular communication and visits and my tutor was always contactable. All of this made the technical part of my apprenticeship so enjoyable. If I could go back, I would try to finish my coursework quicker as this would have only benefited me as I would have been taken direct sooner. Anyone looking to do an apprenticeship should know there is no such thing as a stupid question, you’re there to learn and all it takes is perseverance and a good work ethic. K10 caused a big change in my life, I originally came in to interview for a trade but I ended working in a QS role for a main contractor completing 2 formal qualifications during my time with K10. This gave me clarity on the career path I wanted to take, and I received reassurance when I had any worries about the path required to become a fully qualified Quantity Surveyor. My Apprenticeship Manager, Peter Bannister, was very supportive and went above and beyond to help me when it came to additional research in to career paths, we were always in regular communication and often had site visits to discuss progression and my next step.
After the Apprenticeship: Since completing his apprenticeship, Bally has gone into full time employment, pursuing his career in Quantity Surveying starting as a trainee Quantity Surveyor for ISG on the Temperate House Project in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew.
