Meet a Trainee: Sufyaan Akhtar
Meet Sufyaan, a Production Management Trainee at Wates who has seamlessly blended responsibilities in site management and engineering since starting in September 2023.
From setting out coordinates for foundation piles to conducting site inductions, dealing with geo-environmental engineers, and performing safety audits (IMS), Sufyaan – who is 20 years old and lives in Bradford – has embraced the multifaceted nature of the role.
His motivation to enter the construction industry came from his favourite teacher who told him about @Leeds College of Building, where he later attended. Sufyaan enjoys going out on trail walks and hiking, and his desire to avoid a sedentary office life and love for outdoor work and interaction with people made construction a perfect fit.
After a practical experience during a college placement, Sufyaan completed a week’s placement at Wates, which paved the way for a successful apprenticeship application.
Experiences in projects like York’s Lowfields Green have been most rewarding for Sufyaan, as he is able to showcase the practical application of skills from the classroom and confidently collaborate with stakeholders such as Yorkshire Water to see through a successful site from start to finish.
Wates’ support has been instrumental in Sufyaan’s journey. Exposure to different projects, spending time with site managers and gaining expertise in specific areas have contributed to his well-rounded experience.
Looking ahead, Sufyaan hopes to climb the ranks at Wates swiftly, aiming for a site manager or project manager role in the next 5-6 years with an engineering background. Outside work, Sufyaan is also keen to travel and visit other countries.
His advice to aspiring apprentices is to persist in applying, embrace the hands-on learning and recognise that on-site work brings classroom learning to life.
