At Acorn Analytical Services we are committed to developing the next generation of asbestos consultants. We invest a lot of time and money into training our staff because asbestos will remain in many of the UK’s buildings for the foreseeable future and it needs to be managed properly to protect people’s lives.
Earlier this year we were delighted to take on three new trainees who are all working hard at Acorn. In this blog we’d like to shine a light on one of them – Jake Newell who has impressed everyone here with his commitment to his work and our clients.
Jake, 21, joined us at the beginning of March as a trainee consultant and having worked incredibly hard, he passed his examinations in record quick time and qualified as an Asbestos Analyst just over a month ago.
He is busy working with our clients across the UK, but we managed to catch up with him to find out how he is finding working in the asbestos management industry.
Why did you want to join Acorn?
I’d been working at a garden centre for four years whilst I was at school and college and then after college I began working there full-time but I knew that I wanted to enter a profession. During my time at college, I’d done a small asbestos awareness course but other than that I really knew very little about the subject.
I was thinking about what to do next when I saw that Acorn had a vacancy for a trainee position and when I read up about Acorn and the role it seemed to answer all my needs. I’ve always been very career-minded and this sounded like the perfect career to me.
What is your role with Acorn?
I joined Acorn as a trainee consultant in March and when I wasn’t working I spent my spare time revising for my exams. About a month and a half ago, following an intensive three-day course, I passed my P403 examination in Asbestos Air Sampling and my P404 examination in Asbestos 4 Stage Clearance. I was really proud when I found out I had passed these exams in the quickest time of anyone at Acorn. I’ve also successfully secured my CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card too.
After successfully completing my exams, as part of the ‘Acorn Way’ of training my work was checked by one of our internal auditors and once they confirmed they were happy with me I graduated to the role of Asbestos Analyst.
Why do you think you have been able to achieve so much so quickly?
Partially because I’ve always been a very driven person but also because of the support I’ve received from my colleagues at Acorn. The company has given me great opportunities and that has given me even greater encouragement to want to fulfil my potential.
In addition to that, the support I’ve had from every member of the team has been incredible. Before I was signed off as an Asbestos Analyst, I spent every day working alongside Acorn’s senior consultants. They were very generous in sharing their expertise with me and the techniques they use to do their jobs successfully. As a qualified Asbestos Analyst I am now drawing on all their expertise when I’m working with our clients.
I’ve also really appreciated that I’ve always been able to call back to the office with any query I have, safe in the knowledge there be a highly qualified member of staff there to offer their advice.
I couldn’t have achieved what I’ve done so far without the help of my colleagues. Working at Acorn is like being part of a family. We all care about each other and support one another and although we work hard we have a laugh too. There’s a great atmosphere here and that makes the work easier and enjoyable. I can’t thank everyone here enough.
What are you enjoying most about your job?
The highlight for me is communicating with our clients. I really enjoy updating them about how their job is going and overseeing external operatives and ensuring that they are carrying out their work correctly and safely. It’s great to know that the work I do helps my clients’ projects to run smoothly and is potentially saving people’s lives.
I feel like I’ve grown in confidence since I started working with Acorn. In part because of the amount of knowledge I’ve gained and because I’m trusted to give advice and impart my knowledge about asbestos management to the likes of CEOs and company managers.
I’ve also enjoyed travelling around the country as part of my job and this in turn has boosted my confidence about driving.
Has acquiring an in-depth knowledge of asbestos changed you?
Learning more about asbestos has definitely changed the way I look at things. I was really surprised to learn how many different products contain asbestos. When I’m at home now or visiting my friends I’m looking around for asbestos and pointing it out to them. When you learn about asbestos you want to share that knowledge with others.
What do you do in your spare time?
I’ve not had too much spare time lately because until recently I’ve been revising for my exams and I’ve been working as many weekends as possible so I can get a mortgage. When I do have any spare time I like to go to the gym.
What is the next step for you?
I’m thoroughly enjoying working with our clients across the UK and building up my experience of working as an Asbestos Analyst. Every job is different and I am learning so much.
In the future I would also like to go into the surveying side of the business so that I can become an Asbestos Consultant. If you’re an Asbestos Consultant it means you have a great deal of knowledge about asbestos and are able to go to pretty much any job and offer expert advice.
Looking even further ahead, one day I would like to become a Contracts Manager.
Acorn is a professional asbestos consultancy helping organisations deal with asbestos compliance using asbestos surveys, asbestos air testing, and asbestos removal management. Please call one of the team, or use the online form to obtain your free quotation. If you would like further information or advice on asbestos and asbestos training, contact the team on 0844 818 0895 or Contact Us
