Let us introduce you to Jakub Colby, a trainee estimator working in our pre-construction teams within Kier Construction.
Joining us in 2025, fresh out of Sixth Form, Jakub is currently working towards his Level 6 degree apprenticeship in quantity surveying.
Sparked by a chance meeting with Kier at a careers fair, Jakub’s journey into construction is a great example of how important it is to do your research and find something that truly interests you.
Now at Kier, Jakub’s role plays a key part in delivering exciting projects that impact local communities.
In this blog, find out more about what a trainee estimator actually does, why Jakub chose an apprenticeship instead of university and how he’s building his future at Kier.
What does a trainee estimator do?
“So, before we bid for a construction or infrastructure project the pre-construction team will work together to figure out how much a project will cost to build,
“Once the job is won, we then decide exactly which subcontractors we will use, and work with the client to get a price firmly agreed,
“As a trainee estimator, my role is to support the estimating team in calculating how much jobs are going to cost,
“At the moment I am on a project called RAF Cranwell, and we’ve just entered the pre-contractual phase,
“This means Kier have won the contract through a framework and are going to be the ones delivering the project, but we haven’t started building anything yet,
“I’m still early in my career so I’ve mainly been learning the ropes,
“But eventually I’ll get involved in things like speaking to subcontractors to get quotes, and advising the team on the best providers for different materials and things like that.”
How did you know you wanted to do an apprenticeship?
“When I was studying for my A-Levels, I already had a part-time job so the idea of working and learning didn’t seem that daunting,
“I guess I’d also already got used to earning money, so the idea of going to university wasn’t as attractive as an apprenticeship,
“And I really like that with a degree apprenticeship, you kind of get the best of both worlds,
“With my degree, I still get to go to university for a week every few months so I’m getting that social side too.”
What attracted you to a career in estimating?
“So always knew I wanted to do something with numbers, maybe something financial, so I actually thought I wanted to be an accountant,
“Then I had a careers fair at school and someone from Kier was there!
“I didn’t think I wanted to be in construction because I thought it was always jobs like bricklaying or carpentry,
“But after speaking with the person from Kier, I realised it was much more than that, so I went away and looked at all the roles they had, not just ones in the finance team,
“That’s when I spotted one near me in estimating and reading the job advert it sounded like a really interesting way of applying my love of numbers instead of a traditional career in finance.”
What attracted you to Kier?
“When I realised estimating was something I was interested in, I looked into Kier a bit more and realised how big Kier actually is!
“After that my mind was completely made up, I just thought it’s such a big company with so many different opportunities that I couldn’t really be anywhere better,
“Since joining, I have really loved how I feel like I am part of something important,
“We're building things that impact and improve people's daily lives, schools, hospitals, roads etc; I actually feel like I’m contributing to society,
“I quite like that, gives me a good feeling.”
How does an apprenticeship work?
“As a trainee estimator, I’m enrolled on a quantity surveying degree apprenticeship at Sheffield Hallam University,
“Quantity surveying is a slightly different job, but the technical knowledge is very similar, you just apply it differently in estimating,
“To gain your degree, you work your way through the different apprenticeship levels each year,
“So this first year, I’m technically a Level 4 apprentice which is similar to a foundation degree,
“Then I’ll move up to Level 5, and graduate with a Level 6 which is the same as a post-graduate degree,
“It will take about five years to complete, and I have four block weeks a year where I go up to uni, stay in a hotel for a week with the other apprentices,
“This is all paid for by Kier, my hotel, my travel and my food – which is great,
“When I’m not at uni, I still have assignments to complete and exams to revise for, so my manager and I have agreed that every Friday will be my study day,
"Then at work, I'm learning practical skills whilst also learning the theory at university which I think will set me up better in the long term."
What are your top tips for applying for an apprenticeship?
“Don’t try to be a robot and give perfect, polished answers,
“In my application for Kier, I tried to answer the questions as personally as possible and in the way I naturally speak and write,
“Also do loads of research about the company before applying, then you can make sure your application matches what they’re looking for and the company values,
“It helps make your application stand out more but also it helps you make a decision about whether this is somewhere you want to work,
“I definitely made the mistake with other companies where I just applied and then researched, and then realised they weren’t companies I wanted to work for really.”
What questions do they ask in an apprenticeship interview?
“One of my interview questions was to do with being sustainable,
“I’m a big fan of cars, so I spoke about electric cars and debated whether they are better for the environment or not,
“The interviewers know you’re probably coming straight from school, they’re not expecting you to have loads of work experience to talk about,
“And this sounds cliché, but I know it helped my interview, and that was just to be yourself!
“I think it’s really important to show off your own opinions and way of thinking – in an apprentice interview they’re looking for potential, not experience.”
