DWDR trainee comes of age with an honours degree

One of the first influx of people to join the Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) project team, Kye, landed the opportunity to work on the single biggest investment the Port has ever undertaken in its history.

Kye Clark, from Dover, was employed straight from school as a trainee quantity surveyor and with full backing from the Port of Dover immediately embarked upon the task of becoming degree qualified. Balancing work with study time he recently graduated from University College of Estate Management with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Quantity Surveying First Class honours degree. Quite an achievement in four years.

During his time on the DWDR project he has worked alongside other quantity surveyors and project managers whilst being mentored by the commercial manager. This has given him an insight into the complexities of issuing multi-million pound tenders for this key infrastructure initiative at a very early stage of his career. An experience clearly reflected in his excellent exam results.

The design and construction of the Marina Control Building was the first major contract where he was the commercial lead, dealing with day-to-day contract administration and valuing variations. Since then, Kye has continued to provide support on other projects within DWDR, such as the New Marina Fit Out and tendering for the New Marina Hard Landscaping & Access Road project.

Kye sums up his time on the project as, “A unique experience to work on a multi-million pound project involving a range of works, from buildings, marine civil engineering and demolition projects, which have been invaluable in helping me to gain the practical knowledge required to get a first class honours degree.

“I have now started the process of becoming a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a two year process wherein a comprehensive diary needs to be taken of daily activities, undertake 48 hours of Continuing Professional Development per year, produce numerous case studies and undergo a professional interview at the end of the process.”

Mark Pettit, Commercial Manager DWDR, said, “The Dover Western Docks Revival is a world class development at the Port of Dover and has been the catalyst for the Port and its many contractors to employ school leavers and sponsor them though college. Our intention was for this to be a legacy project and Kye is testament to what can be achieved through hard work, and is fully deserving of his first class honours degree. We wish him well as he takes the next step to becoming a Chartered Quantity Surveyor of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.”