Investing in future talent is a driving force at ACS as we cultivate a culture of continuous learning and professional development for our apprentices.
In recognition of National Apprenticeship Week, we caught up with our colleagues who’ve recently passed their End Point Assessments. Here Cody Barry, who joined us in July 2022 as one of our youngest apprentices at age 17, talks to us about how he fast tracked his progress by taking his A-levels online whilst here, and passed his EP assessment a year earlier than the standard.
“Being at ACS is a unique and collaborative experience”
I’ve always been very proactive and had a mechanical mind, so engineering was a natural career choice for me. I completed my GCSE’S at UTC in Leeds and was immediately interested in the ACS apprenticeship scheme after hearing about it on an open day. I was able to chat to some apprentices who gave me an idea of what to expect so was eager to get started! I briefly began my A-levels in engineering and mathematics externally but was frustrated by the pace of learning so decided to stop and instead do them myself online whilst working at ACS.
Instantly at ease
Being in a professional environment felt good, and I think my previous experience labouring on construction sites and working in customer facing roles in retail helped me enter a professional environment comfortably. Being at ACS is a unique and collaborative experience where you get to experience all of the different areas which is invaluable in building up your knowledge base.
My entry into the company was slightly different to the norm as I spent the first year of my apprenticeship in the façades department. This was an amazing experience where I was able to work directly with the lead of façades, learning so much about the designing of buildings externally and not just masonry support. This has been invaluable in giving me a rounded understanding of what is involved to fulfil the entire process and helped me navigate my future career of becoming a Technical Specification Manager.
After a year specialising in façades I moved over to the other side of the business which exposed me to the wide range of products ACS design and produce giving me a really strong understanding of how all of the departments seamlessly work together.
Broad appeal
ACS is quite special in that for a fairly small headcount it has earned a unique position in the industry, testament to the vast amount of knowledge they have as a company. I think this is down to the wide mix of people here – from young apprentices’ such as myself to colleagues who have been here for years and are really familiar with all areas of engineering and construction. This huge font of knowledge is what makes it so brilliant, and the best place to learn. Every project combines people from all areas of the business where information is pooled to give the best result to the client, it’s so collaborative and I really like that aspect of it.
I’m keen to continue my learning journey at ACS. The people are great, and I’ve been fortunate to experience many different departments as well as going on-site which again, has really aided my experience. There’s so much to learn, and so many products to gain a deep understanding of which is so important when dealing with a client – you want to have a good knowledge of everything so you always have the right answers.
I’m looking forward to working towards becoming a Technical Specification Manager which is my goal. I hope to do as much of that as possible here at ACS.
If you’re interested in joining ACS as an apprentice you’ll find more information on our Apprenticeships page.
Article originally published on 13th February 2025