We’re incredibly proud of our staff and the knowledge they bring the to team. We want to showcase our team’s achievements and expertise where we can, and this time we’re focusing on Karl, a newly appointed Property Surveyor in the Surveying team.
Karl started his career as an apprentice joiner, working for a number of construction businesses before joining the NHS as a maintenance joiner. He worked for the NHS for 17 years, working up to his NVQ 3 in Advanced Joinery.
In 2017, Karl decided he wanted develop his skills in construction management, and enrolled on a HNC Level 4 in Construction and the Built Environment with support and funding from the NHS.
However, halfway through his course, the NHS were no longer able to fund his further education and Karl had to resign and self-fund the rest of his course.
Karl started working as a self-employed joiner, and was soon sub-contracted by Unitas worked on the planned bathrooms scheme, which enabled him to attend Walsall College once a week and completed the two-year course.
Thanks to support from his lecturers, friends, family and work colleagues – and a lot of late nights of study – Karl graduated from his course in 2019 with three awards from Walsall College. Karl was awarded Adult Student of the Year, Construction Student of the Year and Higher Education Student of the Year.
“Achieving all three awards was amazing after many obstacles throughout the journey,” said Karl.
With this his qualification complete and three awards under his belt, Karl looked for an opportunity within Unitas to see if there were any jobs coming up that he could utilise his new skills within the business or if their were any development opportunities available.
Karl started working with the surveying team to assess properties, and was soon appointed as an Assistant Property Surveyor in May 2020.
“Throughout the next 12 months, I learned a lot about the business with help and support from the surveying team, project managers my colleagues and Unitas stakeholders,” said Karl.
“I worked hard and put into practice what I had learned at college, such as working up Bills of Quants, managing budgets, and report writing.”
In May 2021, there was an opportunity advertised for a full-time Property Surveyor. Karl applied and was successfully appointed this June.
“I’m now living the dream and proud to work for Unitas whilst also improving local people’s lives in the city of Stoke on Trent – where I was born and bred.”
If you’re interested in a career at Unitas, check out our Careers page.
