A Salford University graduate who was named the top apprentice of the year has hailed the impact working in industry while studying has had on his career.
Jake Hall, 24, has become the first person to complete a degree apprenticeship at family-owned real estate business Scarborough Group International (SGI) in a 5-year undergraduate building course through the University of Salford.
For National Apprenticeship Week, Jake highlighted the advantages of apprenticeship study.
He graduated from the University of Salford with an Upper Second-Class Honours degree at the University of Salford while working full-time with the business.
Alongside his studies at the University, Jack worked on SGI’s development team on major regeneration and mixed-use schemes in Middlewood Locks in Salford.
Jake, who also won UKREiiF’s ‘Top Apprentice of the year’ in 2023, expressed his excitement towards his achievement, highlighting the impact of having been on an apprenticeship degree.
He said: “Being able to combine Building Surveying with a real project experience at SGI has given me a strong foundation for my career.
“I’m grateful for the support I’ve received throughout the programme and excited to continue developing as a Graduate Project Manager while working towards becoming RICS qualified.”
His milestone has been endorsed by Simon McCabe, Chief Executive of SGI, while he also spoke about the milestone week.
Simon added: “National Apprenticeship Week is an important moment to spotlight what modern apprenticeships can achieve, and Jake’s progression from apprentice to a permanent role within the business demonstrates the value of combining academic study with real project experience.”
Following the completion of his degree, Jake was appointed to a full-time permanent role as a Graduate Building Surveyor at SGI. He will now work in hopes of becoming a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors qualified Building Surveyor.
More information on National Apprenticeship Week can be viewed through the government’s National Apprenticeship Week 2026 website.
