Former bricklayer Nathan Walbeoff, from New Tredegar, studied the HND Surveying before progressing to the BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management degree. Nathan is part of the Network 75 scheme, so he studies part time while working as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor for Trivallis.

"The HND course was fantastic; we were only a small class so the banter was brilliant and the lecturers had lots of time to go through exercises and assignments in more detail. Getting my HND was a real highlight. It was the first time that I realised what I could achieve if I really applied myself.

The surveying degree is of the same high standard as the HND and the teaching is excellent. More is expected of you as a student though, so it can be challenging but there is support from the lecturers, who are all great and easy to get on with.

As a result of doing the two surveying courses, I have recently gained a place on Kier’s Graduate Development Programme, so all the hard work has been worth it!

One of the biggest benefits of the surveying degree is that it has made me more commercially minded. This has been achieved through the structure of the course and the modules on offer.

Classes in tendering and estimating, contract administration and cost management are vital for aspiring quantity surveyors in order to gain a more robust understanding of what is required of you in the field.

NRM measurement, civil engineering for quantity surveyors and construction law –which develops your understanding of the legal duties of numerous parties and increases your legal knowledge – are valuable too.

I have enjoyed learning CAD and BIM, another excellent module. BIM is rapidly becoming essential knowledge within the construction industry so having prior knowledge of this will be a big advantage to anyone for when it becomes fully integrated within the industry.

For now, I am looking forward to getting my surveying degree and starting my new role as a a Graduate Quantity Surveyor with Kier. Long term, I want to gain my RICS chartership (which I have already started) and work my way up the ladder to senior QS, commercial manager and possibly commercial director. Having a RICS-accredited degree will really help with this.”