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 Apprentice Technical Engineer Joshua Walls, who joined us in 2021, shares his experiences and credits ACS with helping him to direct his future path.
“I’d encourage anyone interested in construction to do this apprenticeship”
It was only really in my first interview with ACS that I realised that working in construction was what I wanted to do. I’d taken physics, maths and engineering A-levels at UTC and considered being an architect, but it was walking into ACS and experiencing the industry first-hand that cemented it for me that this environment suited me down to the ground.
A thriving environment
I was blown away by the building when I arrived – it’s not what you would think a construction workplace would look like, it’s modern and inviting and I immediately felt welcome here. That has continued to be my experience over the last couple of years, whilst it’s incredibly professional, there’s a relaxed nature in the office with everyone getting on with their jobs, it’s a really nice environment to be in.
The majority of my time has been spent in the technical department, which is where my main interests lie, although I have had the opportunity to experience many other departments to help me see how everything connects which has been invaluable.
A day in the life
In the technical department I work closely with engineers and architects to help build the brief we’re working on. I do a lot of 3D modelling for drawing using our Revit software and I can be working on several projects at any one time although there’s usually a main one taking the majority of focus. Currently that’s a project in London which has been quite challenging but a great learning curve. I’ve been able to visit the site and see directly how our products are used on site. For this project that included seeing the masonry support being constructed and seeing how our brick slip soffit systems are installed.
It’s brilliant being able to see first-hand how it all comes together, it offers a different perspective that you don’t get being in the office producing the drawings.
I’ve also been involved with the project manager and designer on this project, helping them work around issues on site such as different tolerances of concrete slab castings that they’ve had to deal with, again this really aids my knowledge base, and I love being able to help them find solutions and be hands on like this. It’s what ACS are good at, they don’t just provide products to the industry, they also encourage and facilitate a continued dialogue with customers to help them through their construction, it’s a real asset.
Working at ACS has confirmed for me that I want a career in this industry, I love the technical process and can see myself doing this in the future. I don’t know exactly what is next but I know that this scheme has been amazing for me and I’d encourage anyone interested in construction to do this apprenticeship.
If you’re interested in joining ACS as an apprentice you’ll find more information on our Apprenticeships page.
Article originally published on 12th February 2025