Apprenticeships

As a business we’re proud of our heritage and focused on our future.

Why choose an apprenticeship with us?

We have a long and successful history of training apprentices, which dates back to 1934 and since then, over 5,700 people have completed an apprenticeship with us. Many of our apprentices have won national and industry awards before progressing into senior management positions within our business.

Our award-winning approach develops the behaviours, skills, knowledge and experience our apprentices need to build a successful career. We work in partnership with a national network of colleges to offer some of the best training in the industry.

We are a proud member of The 5% Club, a select group of companies committed to increasing the number of apprentices and graduates in the workforce.

We have also been recognised as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer by the Government, rankings which celebrates the country’s most outstanding apprenticeship employers in the public and private sector.

What apprenticeships do we offer?

We offer 20 different apprenticeships in total, the majority of which are focused on a range of electrical, mechanical and technical specialisms, as well as a number of business based roles.

As one of our apprentices, you will be fully supported throughout your programme with us. Our apprenticeship development team are there to make sure you get the best out of the business and the business gets the best out of you.

Our six most popular apprenticeships are:

Project Engineer Apprentice

Designed to prepare you for a career as a building services project engineer. This apprenticeship offers a combination of office based and site based work and will include extensive outdoor work on building sites and partially completed structures.

Design (Building Services) Apprentice

Designed to prepare you for a career as a building services design engineer. This apprenticeship offers a combination of office based and site based work and will include some outdoor work on building sites and partially completed structures.

Electrotechnical Apprentice

Designed to prepare you for a career as an electrician. This role includes installing and maintaining electrical equipment and systems in commercial and industrial premises. You will be mainly site based, which includes extensive outdoor work on building sites and partially completed structures. You will also need a colour vision test certificate to undertake this role.

Estimating (Building Services) Apprentice

Designed to prepare you for a career as a building services engineer (bid team). This apprenticeship offers office based work and includes extensive estimating work on projects for mechanical and electrical services, ranging in value from £1 million to £100 million.

Industrial Heating and Plumbing Apprentice

Designed to prepare you for a career as a heating and ventilation engineer. Your role will involve the installation of large heating and ventilation systems in industrial and commercial premises. You will be mainly site based, which includes extensive outdoor work on building sites and partially completed structures.

Quantity Surveying Apprentice

Designed to prepare you for a career as a quantity surveyor. You will be working closely with our commercial team to provide support across a range of projects and sectors. Following completion of your apprenticeship, you will follow a RICS accredited training scheme, geared towards achieving Chartered status.

We may also have opportunities to train in:

Bid & Proposals

Business Admin

Credit Control

Customer Service

Finance

HR

Information & Communications Technology (ICT)

Legal

Planning (Building Services)

Procurement

Service & Maintenance

Welding/
Fabrication

A day in the life of our apprentices

When you undertake an apprenticeship with us, your role incorporates a variety of different tasks, activities and projects, so it’s likely that no two days will be ever the same.

By working with different departments and people across our business, it allows you to gain a better understanding of what we do, develop key skills and qualities relevant to your role and build key relationships with others.

We’ll let some of our apprentices to tell you about their roles with us:

Courtney - Electrotechnical

“My electrical apprenticeship allows me to gain knowledge about containment, installing and wiring systems and understand how they all work. To be a successful electrical apprentice, I believe you need enthusiasm and a passion to learn, good teamworking skills, and exceptional problem-solving abilities, as things don't always go to plan, and you need to be able to think promptly and work as a team to overcome problems in the most efficient way. So far, I have enjoyed seeing how much I have grown in confidence and the new skills and knowledge I’ve picked up, no matter how big or small. I also enjoy the atmosphere on site, the business has made me feel very welcome and a part of the team.”

EJ – Services & Maintenance

“Most days are different which is always a good thing as you never know what to expect. This has really helped me to develop my problem solving and analytical skills. Communication skills are also essential in this role, because even if I am working alone, I may need to liaise with others to get the job done. I enjoy the change of pace my apprenticeship offers and the opportunities it provides to meet new people and build connections. I also like a challenge, so I enjoy working on reactive tasks because it gives me a chance to test myself and learn something new. Working on various contracts and speaking with different people has definitely boosted my confidence and I can’t wait to be taught more.”

Jessica - Heating & Ventilation

“I like that every day of my apprenticeship is different. I could be installing bracketing systems one day and pipework the next, installing pipework that feeds sanitary ware or an entire plant room. As an apprentice you receive great support from your supervisors on site and tutors through college; everyone is there to ensure that you do your best and gain as much experience you can. As you progress through your apprenticeship, you gain more and more responsibility. You might start by making up bracketing systems but eventually you’ll be able to follow drawings and install entire areas of pipework independently.”

Rhys – BIM Coordinator

“My day-to-day role is mainly office based, working alongside other BIM coordinators and technicians. BIM is an aspect of engineering that is still reasonably new, however due to its demand, it is one of the largest growing disciplines within the industry. I work mostly on the 3D models that are created for our projects. This type of work gives me the opportunity to communicate with the engineers and designers, who have their say on how the building will be designed and built.”

Lucy – Procurement

“No day is ever the same as an apprentice with NG Bailey, there is always something new to learn. My day normally consists of meetings with suppliers, negotiating deals, visiting our different sites and finalising orders, so being able to communicate well and work as part of a team is essential. Being a procurement apprentice allows you to get a full understanding of the industry and expand your knowledge, as well as create great relationships.”

Toby – Quantity Surveying

“The best part of my apprenticeship so far has been working with so many different people, including fellow apprentices, site engineers, and the commercial team, who have all been really welcoming and helpful. As a quantity surveying apprentice, organisational, team-working and communication skills are important, as well as close attention to detail. My daily tasks include liaising with the commercial team, assisting quantity surveyors with their reports and documentation, budget management and payments, as well as forecasting costs throughout a project."

Where they are now

We are proud to say that at the end of their programme most of our graduating apprentices successfully move into a permanent role with us. Find out where some of our former apprentices are now:

Scott - Senior Planner

“I undertook a three-year BSE planning apprenticeship with NG Bailey and after graduating, I secured a senior planning role with the business. As my apprenticeship progressed, I grew in confidence and competence and became a more valuable member of the project team, taking on new responsibilities. I now manage a trainee planner and work independently on flagship projects for the business, undertaking delay and labour analysis, progress reporting, programme time mitigation and detailed programme development.”

Olivia – Quantity Surveyor

“During my four-year apprenticeship, I was able to complete both a level 3 and level 5 qualification in the built environment, whilst simultaneously progressing through the business from trainee to assistant quantity surveyor. During my apprenticeship I gained a vast amount of experience and knowledge as I worked with departments such as procurement, estimating and commercial, as well as working on numerous large projects. I have since been promoted to the position of quantity surveyor and I am now taking a leading role on a project for one of the UK’s most famous sporting associations where I report monthly cost forecasts directly to the regional directors, support the project delivery and work closely with the main contractor. My next educational venture includes a part time BSc Quantity Surveying degree, which will incorporate key learning to facilitate RICS accreditation.”

Harry – Site Supervisor

“My apprenticeship in planned and reactive maintenance on heating and ventilation systems enabled me to grow in confidence as well as gain valuable experience. Throughout my apprenticeship I always had the support of my on-site supervisors and line managers, this really helped with personal progression as well as my technical development. Since graduating, I have worked at various locations in London and have returned to the contract I first worked on – but now I am a site supervisor. My future aspirations are to keep progressing and making a positive impact on the business.”