James Rush named South West’s Most Promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor

James Rush, from Exeter, has been named the South West’s most promising trainee quantity surveyor at this year’s Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Young Achiever Awards.

James joined South West Highways Ltd. as a Technical Support Administrator in 2019 and was promoted to Assistant Quantity Surveyor in February 2022. He received the award for his intelligence, drive and commitment to detail and is seeking promotion to full Quantity Surveyor within South West Highways in early 2023, before applying to undertake chartership with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) by 2025.

Within just 3 years, James has gone from being a lifeguard at his local gym (with no prior construction industry experience), to now being responsible for commercial management on projects typically between £1m - £9m. He now has primary responsibility for managing all commercial aspects of South West Highways current Town Centre Regeneration project in Yeovil, managing costs for multiple schemes across Yeovil.

Speaking at the presentation in Torquay, Phil Ramsden, Chair, CECA (South West), said: “Our industry needs more individuals like James with drive, a positive attitude and the ability to read situations and communicate effectively.

“There are huge opportunities opening up in our industry for college leavers, graduates and people looking for a change of career, with more than a dozen major infrastructure projects due to start in the South West over the next year or so. Now is a great time to be joining our industry.”

The CECA South West Young Achiever Awards are presented annually in recognition of exceptional performance, with each winner receiving a trophy and cheque for £500.