A few years ago we published a series of blogs which put the spotlight on a particular member of our team, asking them to tell us a little about themselves and their role at Sheriff Construction.
Our last ‘Getting to Know You’ article was all the way back in 2019 so we are long overdue for another one! To get things going, we’ve been speaking with our in-house Quantity Surveyor, Refit Dragoti, who has been with the company for three years and was recently successful in gaining a globally recognised NEBOSH health and safety qualification. Read on for more of his story so far.
Introducing Refit
Born in the small Albanian city of Kucove, Refit moved with his parents to Greece at the age of six. After finishing his general schooling, he continued his studies at the Technological University of Thessaly, within the infrastructure civil engineering department. During this time, Refit spent 6 months in Denmark through the student exchange ‘Erasmus’ programme and then graduated in 2019.
Like many students, Refit worked through holiday breaks as a waiter and barista before moving to the UK and joining Sheriff in February 2020, initially as a Junior QS.
Having now stepped up to the role of Quantity Surveyor, here’s what Refit had to say about this work:
“At Sheriff, my work starts long before any building work commences, carries on throughout the project and continues after all the building work has been completed. This means my days are filled with a wide variety of tasks, including tendering for brickwork and roofing packages; preparing variations; breaking down and monitoring the costs for each project; working alongside the office team to programme the schedule of works; buying materials and managing deliveries; liaising with the site team and recording any potential issues that might affect the job; and meeting with the client’s QS for instructions and to agree final accounts.
“Currently, I’ve completed most of the tendering stages we’ve been working on so I’m focussing on the work required for live projects like the brickwork contracts we have underway in Woolwich and Basildon and the roofing works we’re doing in Cheshunt and Watford. Some of these contracts are worth millions to the company so everything needs to be carefully managed, for instance by making accurate valuations, checking any updated drawings, monitoring downtime, managing cashflow and resolving design issues.
“Managing all of these different aspects of my role can be challenging, particularly at key moments like pricing a job for a new contractor, meeting deadlines on tenders, adapting to design changes and closing final accounts. However, this is also what makes it interesting and rewarding and what’s really great is the fact that, if you need help, the team are always there to support you. Across Sheriff’s teams, people have a genuine bond and show a great deal of respect for one another; that’s something you don’t see in every workplace!”
Since joining Sheriff Construction, Refit has benefitted from a range of training and educational opportunities, leading up to the prestigious NEBOSH qualification he gained in recent weeks. He says:
“Over three years, Sheriff has given me the chance to participate in numerous training courses such as SMSTS, First Aider, Dry and Wet Testing (leak investigation) and PAT Testing.
“I also completed the IOSH Managing Safely training and became the company’s appointed health and safety person. After this, I wanted to try something more advanced so as to improve my knowledge and enhance the support I could offer to our on-site teams around health and safety matters.
“NEBOSH was a tough course followed by two exams (the two week assessment and a final 24hour open exam). It felt like a proud moment to be successful with this but more importantly, having this certificate means I am able to fulfil greater responsibilities. In addition to being Sheriff’s Quantity Surveyor, I have now taken on the role of H&S Advisor/Consultant of the company.
“Last but not least, my Director recently arranged for myself and some other team members to receive coaching from a consultant in relation to the principals of how to become a leader. We’ve covered areas such as time management, feelings and how to become a professional in the construction industry. I am certain this is going to be a big help to me as my career with Sheriff Construction progresses.”
All work and no play?
Although Refit clearly has a busy work schedule at Sheriff, he juggles work commitments with a number of personal interests and hobbies which include boxing, outdoors activities such as motocross riding, swimming and meditation.
Stating his ambition is to “be able to forecast and plan ahead the way I spend my time”, we think he’s already doing a pretty good job at achieving this!
Our thanks go out to Refit for sharing his story with us today.
Are you working on a project for Sheriff Construction? If you’d like us to feature a piece about you and the job you’re doing right now, please get in touch. Comment on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
14.03.2023
Feature image: Freepik/ Sheriff Construction
