“There are great opportunities within construction and Heron Bros. encourage their staff to develop professionally so they can progress and move up the ladder. I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities for progression if I was working in another sector.”
Joanne explained that she decided to do the Foundation Degree in Construction at the College’s Coleraine campus because she wanted to learn more about the construction industry to a better understanding of how projects are estimated.
“I wanted to learn more about how building elements can be produced to a given design and specification, while considering the environmental, legal, and commercial constraints within the construction process.”
She continued: “I felt that, with the Foundation, it was an opportunity to enhance my existing skills within the profession whilst adding to my skillset with a deeper level of knowledge and understanding about the core aspects of construction.”
Joanne said doing the Foundation Degree while working in the construction industry was a great opportunity to put the theory into practice.
“I enjoyed the challenge of applying what I was learning in class to my professional practice and ultimately, this has broadened my horizon in terms of career progression.
“The knowledge I have gained from doing the Construction Engineering with Surveying Foundation Degree has given me a better understanding the construction process: from how take-offs are undertaken; bill of quantities developed; the reading of bills; and understanding what elements are involved. This in turn has helped me when assigning packages from a bill for pricing and to deal with any queries received by the sub-contractor in a competent and professional way.”
Joanne, who has been involved in the pricing of many construction projects across Northern Ireland, said that while she finds all projects interesting, she particularly enjoyed working on pricing the tender for Northern Regional College’s new campus development at Coleraine.
“The Foundation Degree in Construction is an invaluable starting point for anyone working in the construction industry who wants to develop professionally and formalise their knowledge and skillbase through academic achievement within a supported learning environment.”
In 2020, Heron Bros won the tender to build the new Department for the Economy funded £40 million campus for Northern Regional College. In January this year, the construction group was awarded the contract for the new £45m campus for the College in Ballymena.
The Foundation Degree in Construction with Surveying is offered at Northern Regional College’s Ballymena and Ballymoney campuses.
In addition to the Foundation Degree in Construction, the College also offers Foundation Degrees in Early Childhood Studies, Business with Digital Technology, Computing, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering. Integrative Counselling, Health Science, Coaching and Fitness and Supply Chain and Logistics.