A GRADUATE quantity surveyor is being given the chance to influence the future outlook for his alma mater

Usama Bandarkar is part of the Balfour Beatty team working on the new £200million masterplan for UCLan in Preston.

The Blackburn 21-year-old can put into practice some of the skills he picked up while studying for his degree at the city institution.

Work is currently advancing on the new £60million student centre and civic square, ahead of a 2021 unveiling.

Usama, who lives in Audley, said: “I used to watch the work on the masterplan when it started and thought wouldn’t it be great if I worked on it one day? Now I’ve got the job just down the road from where I studied.

“I’m really enjoying the job, I’m learning something new every day. I spend time in the office and I make a point of visiting the site daily.

“I am part of the surveying team and shadow senior colleagues to constantly develop in my new career. I also take a photographic record of progress to make sure everything is following the plan and share it with the project team.”

Graeme Moffat, an operations manager, added: “At Balfour Beatty, we are committed to supporting the local economy by employing local people, with more than 92 per cent of our University of Central Lancashire’s Masterplan workforce employed from within a 40-mile radius.”

Two elements of the masterplan, a new £35million engineering innovation centre, a multi-faith hub and two social spaces, have previously been revealed.