Harry Clamp - Building Control Apprentice

Harry Clamp - Building Control Apprentice at East Staffordshire Borough Council

Harry Clamp is a building control apprentice at East Staffordshire Borough Council completing a degree level apprenticeship in Building Control Surveying, delivered by Wolverhampton University. He attends weekly online sessions as well as whole weeks away at the university twice a year. Previously Harry completed a level 3 qualification whilst he was working as a building control technical support officer.

I’m Harry. What I enjoy most about working in building control is that I’m out and about on site for most of the week meeting builders and contractors, it’s not a desk-based job.  I learn so much from the qualified building surveyors in my team. We go out and inspect all sorts of buildings, from a small domestic refurbishment or home extension, to a huge warehouse or a housing estate and commercial buildings too. We check that builders are complying with the relevant building control regulations so that buildings are safe and built correctly. When we are in the office it’s to write up the admin and check that the plans that developers and architects submit comply with the regulations. We deal with dangerous structures too, for example when a car has collided with a wall.

East Staffordshire Borough Council have been really supportive since I started in my initial apprenticeship, and now while I do my degree qualification. My contract’s been extended until 2026 - that security means a lot to me - as does all the training I get, in addition to my university day release time.  I’ve just done a two-day Local Authority Building Control (LABC) course all about foundations for buildings, and plenty of other relevant courses, with the full backing of my manager. 

Most of the others on my university course are from councils too with a good mix of ages and backgrounds, with some ex-builders too; there’s a lot of learning from each other. There’s been core modules in subjects including health and safety and the construction industry. Now in my second year there’s more focus on the building control documents. I get to experience what I’ve learned practically. We were having a lecture on what to look for when planning a loft conversion, things like a means of escape, the fire alarms and specific windows. Shortly after that lecture I had a site visit to see a loft conversion – perfect timing to see one for real, not just learn about the requirements from diagrams on screen.

One of things I need to show for my university course through my Skills Coach is evidence of how my work is meeting the course KSB requirements – the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of me to be demonstrated by the end of the course. I’ve got into a good habit of writing this up, often daily through a mini blog as to what I’ve learned shadowing a building surveyor. Having a day a week, to focus on my studies, works well. 

My ambition is to become fully qualified and competent in this field. I’d like to get some more commercial experience too - perhaps I could even run my own consultancy one day!  There are many benefits of staying with the council - variety, flexible working, endless opportunities for learning and working in a great team. I enjoy the relationship building side of the job working with developers and builders. We are out in all weathers, yet manage to have a laugh most of the time.

I’m looking to buy my first home so this job is giving me a lot of useful information as to what to look out for in terms of design and good building standards! 

I feel as a young person starting out in my career I’ve been supported really well.

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