Commercial Management Trainee Review
at Wates
Graduate Scheme
Surveying
Stradishall
Review Submitted: October 2025
Overall Rating
4.6 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of the Role
4.6/5
-
Experience & Company Culture
3/5
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Recommendations & Advice
Overview of the Role
Overall, how would you describe your experience at Wates?
My every day experience has been brilliant. My team are supportive and have invested time in me for development. I have learnt huge amounts in just a year, having come in with no relevant experience and a non-cognate degree, and am looking forward to my next couple of years at Wates. However, the Early Careers department who manage the actual apprenticeship element are awful. They are disorganised, inconsistent in their answers to questions, and generally unsupportive - as is the general opinion of most apprentices I know at Wates. I can't wait to be off the apprenticeship and just a normal employee at Wates, so I don't have to deal with Early Careers.
What are the main responsibilities of the role and which elements of the role do you enjoy the most?
Procurement, valuation of works, managing design change commercially, and monitoring cashflow on the project.
To what extent does your role give you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully and feel valued by your team?
5/5
I feel I have significant responsibility at work and am an important part of my team.
How does your compensation package - including perks & benefits - fairly remunerate you for the work you do?
5/5
£3500 car allowance plus all mileage, travel, and education paid for.
How well do you feel the role is preparing you for your future career?
5/5
I want to be a quantity surveyor and that is what Wates is training me to be. They are paying for my HNC in quantity surveying and will support me to chartership afterwards.
How would you rate the extent to which you were developing new or existing skills through formal training and your day-to-day role?
5/5
Experience & Company Culture
How is the support you receive?
5/5
How is your work-life balance?
5/5
What is the organisational culture, values and general atmosphere like?
5/5
How would you rate Wates initiatives when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility?
3/5
How would you rate Wates CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives?
5/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Wates to a friend?
Yes
Why?
My experience in my team and on site has been brilliant - very supportive environment.
How well did the role match your expectations based on the recruitment process?
3/5
I think Early Careers were very unclear about where we would be working and how the apprenticeship would work. I didn't even know I had applied for an apprenticeship as they marketed it as a graduate scheme, and I was shocked to find out 1 out of every 6 weeks would be spent in Cinderford doing college residentially. Whilst I enjoy college and this has been a good experience, this was not communicated during the recruitment process, and it is a long way to go.
When considering the recruitment & onboarding process, have you any specific tips or advice you would give to others applying to Wates?
The assessment centres are a lot less daunting than you think!
