14 July 2025
Sunny side of apprenticeships
Build UK chair and D-Drill & Sawing managing director Julie White is passionate about bringing through the next generation of workforce in the construction industry. So much so, that Julie was recently appointed onto the Government’s Construction Skills Mission Board.
In this regular feature on the D-Drill website, The Real Apprentice – You Are Hired, Julie has been catching up with apprentices in the industry both within D-Drill and at other companies in the sector to show the breadth of careers on offer – with hundreds of jobs in the industry!
Sunny Vaja is a degree apprentice quantity surveyor with global steel solutions company William Hare Group. He knew from a young age that he was on a path into construction and now he’s encouraging others to discover apprenticeships too.
Sunny said: “To be honest, my parents were unsure about me taking an apprenticeship route because they thought I should go to university.
“My brothers understood and, now that they’ve seen the progress I’ve made and the responsibility I have taken on, my parents are very proud and happy with the path I chose.
“I was four-years-old when I first realised I wanted to be in construction. We bought our family home back in 2008 and my cousin was involved in a lot of its construction. He managed the costs, advised the builders and made sure things stayed on track.
“I watched the whole house built from scratch and from that young age I was fascinated and amazed. It was like watching Lego in real life.
“But it was only towards the end of sixth form when I really worked out what my next step would be, and one of my tutors encouraged me to look at apprenticeships when so many others were planning to go to university.
“I did my own research and found out about degree apprenticeships. Logically, there was no downside, in my opinion. This apprenticeship offered me a competitive salary, academic learning that was paid for by my company and real work experience to strengthen my learning.
“I think people are quick to assume apprenticeships are a second choice but I choose to believe it’s the smart choice.
“At 21 years old I’m close to obtaining my degree with the University of Westminster and I’ve also started working towards my RICS qualification which was encouraged and supported by William Hare Group.
“In my work, I’m still an apprentice, but I manage sub-contractors, price variations, and handle client changes where we are looking to optimise our earnings. I’m gaining more responsibility daily through hard work and recognition from the leadership at William Hare Group, I couldn’t ask for more.
“At its core, William Hare Group supplies and erects steel for major buildings, especially in London, but as a business we are working on the Manchester City stadium extension and Hinkley Point C.
“The first project I was involved in was Stonecutter Court in Farringdon which involved 2,800 tonnes of steel, it was a great introductory project for me. I’ve also worked on the One Liverpool Street project, which was built over the Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City underground train lines.
There were significant amounts of paperwork required due to it being an over rail contract and we also required the assistance of London Underground-certified fire watchers — I didn’t even know that was a thing before!
“I love being involved in work that is changing the London skyline. I’m born and raised in London and have lived here all my life. Knowing I helped build these structures is special.
“I hope to have children one day and point one day and say ‘I helped to build that’.
“I am lucky that William Hare is a family-run company, and you feel that from day one. Our Board Director came to me in my first week to welcome me, I had no idea who he was, just that he was really friendly. It’s great to have such humble and supportive leaders and he still regularly praises my progress and that recognition means a lot.
“So my advice to anyone thinking of taking the apprenticeship route is ‘do it, 100%!’
“The sooner you start, the more hands-on experience you’ll get. The learning and experience is unmatched whilst still being a young age and when you’re older you won’t have student debt. Being paid has also allowed me to live my life to the max, more so than others my age who have not chosen to do an apprenticeship. Those who doubted me previously, now wish they’d done the same as me!”
Julie’s thoughts: “Sunny has such an experienced and wise head on young shoulders and is a fantastic example of why apprenticeships are the perfect route into our industry.
“We often talk about having to educate younger people on why apprenticeships are the right way to go, but we have to get to other generations too. Parents, relatives, teachers and tutors have a massive influence on the route we take and if we can make everyone see the value of apprenticeships, they will encourage the next generation to look at them.
“And Sunny is proof of what a fantastic start to a career it can give you!”
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