Apprentice Civil Engineer Review

I am an apprentice Civil Engineer. I am currently working on Battersea Power Station. My daily role consists of mostly shadowing qualified Civil Engineers, inspecting Temporary Works on site, reviewing drawings against finished works and doing health and safety checks around site. I attend university one day a week and have approximately 3-4 training sessions per month.

I have become far more confident since working for Mace. They have helped to teach me how to better interact with people, through training, workshops and experience. I am studying for my HNC in Civil Engineering, I have my Temporary Works Coordination training certificate, I have developed several core IT skills and my engineering knowledge has increased dramatically in the 4 months I have been on site.

The programme itself is very good. I have been placed onto a good site (Battersea Power Station) under good management and I am very comfortable asking as many questions as I want. Mace provides incredible opportunities to progress and further my career and the path I would need to take to achieve my goals. We also do frequent networking drinks where all of the apprentices meet with Mace employees, usually the board, which is ideal to form relationships.

Mace put a lot of resources into the apprentices. Paying for our entire course and all of the quality training that we are given on a frequent basis. My line manager always keeps me informed on all of the processes of what we are working on and always ensures that I have tasks to do.

The programme structure is well organized and it works well to fit in all of the training, experience and support. However I like to be prepared and occasionally I have received dates a bit later than I would have liked. Other than this the training is top notch from very good training providers and fits perfectly into my site experiences. the induction was very insightful and my line manager will always make time to help and support me.

The university is always willing to help me. whenever I have an issue I can email my course tutor and he will get back to me with the information I asked for or a way to get it every time. I enjoy my course as it is interesting and it helps me to understand what I see on site.

My line manager is very hard working and does not have a lot of time, however whenever I have a question he is always willing to give his time to help me understand the answer. We also have frequent meetings to review my progress and guide me to where I need to be. I also feel comfortable to speak to my mentors. The general attitude to supporting me on site is extremely positive.

Mace have a fantastic expenses system which allows me to expense my train tickets for my travel to work. I can also expense 1 train ticket per month to return home. Although the pay is incredible for an apprenticeship, I have moved away from home and am now living in London. Although it is far from impossible, it is difficult to keep any of the money I earn.

Mace have a fantastic social side to the company. There are ample opportunities to go for works drinks and join mace sports teams. they allow for 2 volunteering days per year where you can volunteer to do some work for a charity or simply paint a children's home. Mace also set up their own events that you can attend for your volunteering day.

Yes

Fantastic company with many opportunities. The company really looks after you.

Take your time with the application process, start early and really go through it. Be confident in the interview and prepare questions before. Make sure to research Mace and its projects. The initial change from college to work is difficult but the results are worth it, so keep at it. Make sure to keep a site diary and record all of your training and meetings. this will be helpful to you in future.