“You don’t have to be specialised in something to be able to learn,”

Gabriel John, a 4th year Quantity Surveying apprenticeship student, currently balances studying alongside his work as an Apprentice Quantity Surveyor at Gateley Vinden.

 

Gabriel’s educational journey started at Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton, where he studied English Language, Media Studies and History at A Level, alongside a part-time job at M&S.

 

With no plans after college to attend university, Gabriel decided to go full-time at M&S. Only four years later did he learn about the possibilities of quantity surveying and apprenticeships through conversations with a customer.

 

Gabriel said: “I took a bit of a leap of faith, initially I was a bit apprehensive and wondered if it was right for me – in the end, it was the benefits of doing a degree apprenticeship that stood out. I was definitely ready to move on from M&S, as I wanted a better work-life balance.”

 

By choosing an apprenticeship, Gabriel was able to get a balance of university studies and managing projects at work – receiving support from both the university and Gateley Vinden in figuring out how best to juggle his work and studies when first transitioning from retail into a professional services role.  

 

“Throughout university, I have had Vicky Oliver as my link tutor,” said Gabriel. “Every three months I have a catchup meeting with her as well as someone from the workplace, usually my line manager – we have a lengthy discussion about my life at university, how my course is going, and what is going well or not going well. There is constant communication between the university and workplace, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

 

“I have definitely benefitted from the degree apprenticeship route – I have been able to gain hands-on experience in a workplace as well as having the academic side.

 

“I didn’t want to go to university and do a degree that I wasn’t passionate about or wouldn’t benefit me in the future, so when I found out that the degree apprenticeship route had no student fees, it was a massive pull.”

 

Gabriel is currently working four days per week on site or at the office, depending on his projects, as well as one day at university.

Set to graduate in 2027, Gabriel plans to move on to his RICS APC, which is part of the degree apprenticeship route – this includes recording his projects, logging in a diary, and preparing for a final assessment which entails a one-to-one interview.

 

Chris Heathcote, director at Gateley Vinden, said: “Gabriel has progressed tremendously in his apprenticeship since joining Gateley Vinden, with his hard work, sterling contributions and infectious enthusiasm impressing both colleagues and clients. It’s been brilliant watching him develop his theoretical knowledge and personal skills to become the great young professional he is, and nothing demonstrates his progress more than his award success at Insider’s North West Young Professionals Awards 2025.”

 

To mark National Apprenticeship Week the University of Salford has pledged a £100K fund which is available to small businesses in Salford to help them fund over 25s looking to do an apprenticeship. 

 

Full story here: 

 

Find out how to apply and full details here: Transfer fund details for University of Salford (KGNV49) or email A.K.Lochman@salford.ac.uk