National Apprenticeship Week recognises apprenticeships across all industries as an alternative route into skilled professions alongside traditional academic pathways. Within property and regeneration, this includes degree apprenticeships that combine university study with sustained experience on live projects.
This year, National Apprenticeship Week coincides with Jake Hall completing a degree apprenticeship in Building Surveying with us, delivered through the University of Salford, while working full time.
Jake joined us in 2021 and has completed a five-year undergraduate degree apprenticeship, achieving a 2:1 honours classification alongside his role within the business.
During the programme, Jake gained experience across our national development and investment portfolio, working on live regeneration and mixed-use schemes. His project experience included Middlewood Locks in Salford, Thorpe Park in Leeds, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Base in Edinburgh, and Station Quarter in Newport.
Working across these developments allowed Jake to build technical and commercial capability alongside his academic studies, applying theory directly to practice and gaining exposure to the realities of project delivery within the property sector.
In May 2023, Jake was shortlisted for UKREiiF’s Top Apprentice of the Year, recognising his performance during the programme.
Following completion of his degree, Jake has been appointed to a full-time permanent role as Graduate Building Surveyor. He will now work towards his Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), with the aim of becoming a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)-qualified Building Surveyor, and will formally graduate in summer 2026.
Simon McCabe, Chief Executive, said:
“National Apprenticeship Week is an important moment to spotlight what modern apprenticeships can achieve, and Jake’s progression from apprentice to a permanent role within the business demonstrates the value of combining academic study with real project experience. Throughout his apprenticeship, he worked on live schemes across our portfolio, developing the technical and commercial skills needed to succeed in the real estate industry.
“His journey highlights why modern apprenticeships, alongside university study and other early-career pathways, must be higher on the Government’s agenda. Creating clear, well-supported routes into real estate, and other industries, is essential if we are to ensure young people have genuine opportunities to build long-term, sustainable careers.”
Reflecting on the milestone, Jake added:
“Completing my degree has been a huge achievement. Being able to combine studying Building Surveying with real project experience at SGI has given me a strong foundation for my career. I’m grateful for the support I’ve received throughout the programme and excited to continue developing as a Graduate Project Manager while working towards becoming RICS qualified.”
