Apprentice Transport Planner Review

My current title is Apprentice Transport Planner. I am currently on secondment to Area 10, which is a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Mott MacDonald working on behalf of Highways England. Daily tasks vary and I am constantly doing different things each day. Some days I can be producing CAD drawings whereas others I can be out on a site visit or performing surveys. I attend client consultations, present information to colleagues and various other things. My responsibilities so far are to provide support to whoever needs it, which allows me to gain a wide breadth of knowledge as I am constantly working on different projects.

I have learned and developed many skills. I have learnt how to use CAD and other transport modelling software such as VISSIM. I am constantly taking part in training courses which my company pays for, both internally and externally. I have also developed a lot of skills such as report writing, presenting, and how to correctly consult with clients and colleagues. I am in my second year at college and have almost completed my BTEC Level 3 qualification in Civil Engineering. I am also completing my NVQ Level 3 in Civil Engineering with my training provider.

I really enjoy my programme. The work that I do is always interesting as I am always learning new things. I enjoy working with computers so using programmes such as AutoCAD and VISSIM is really fun for me! My team are really supportive and helpful when it comes to working with them. The team I work with is really diverse in terms of qualifications, experience, and the projects that they are working on so I get a well rounded experience of working on different projects. We have team socials every month where we go out to eat, go-karting, escape rooms and other fun stuff! Working here really exceeded my expectations as I have a sense of fulfilment and direction that I haven't had before.

I feel really valued by Mott MacDonald and the steps they take to ensure that I am learning enforce this. The training they provide is extremely helpful and really helps you understand the work. My manger is really supportive and wants to see me do well so is always pushing me to do more. I recently did a presentation to my team on all the projects I have worked on in the past year and received really good feedback. I have also had responses from clients praising me on my work which Mott MacDonald recognises and rewards me for.

When I first started, the programme wasn't really that clear in terms of progression. I think the company realised and immediately set up meetings between all the apprentices to ensure that we knew what was set for us in the future. My manager as well as my team members are all supportive of my apprenticeship, and understand what I need to do to complete the apprenticeship and move on to the next stage.

My training provider meets with me every 6 weeks to help me complete my NVQ. He helps me if I have any problems within work or outside of it. We had a few rough patches with the college that I attended last year and my training provider as well as my company both went to them to sort out the problems. In terms of just how my apprenticeship is going and life outside of work, I feel like my training provider gives me all the support that I need.

My employer supports me a lot in terms of progression onto the next stage of my apprenticeship and also with things like training and college. I have attended many training courses to do with things like CAD and Transport modelling which my employer paid for. My manager helps me complete my NVQ by providing me with support on questions as well as answering any queries that I might have regarding my college work. The HR team is well structured and it is easy to see who I would need to contact in case I have a problem.

My current salary exceeds my daily costs. After paying for living and travel costs I am usually left with a decent amount of disposable income (which seems to disappear from my bank account by the end of the month!) allowing me to have a social life as well. For my age, I am paid really well and I'm pretty sure that all of my friends are jealous as they are going to be stuck with uni debt. As far as my current situation, I feel like I am being paid enough. The raises and bonuses are all highlighted to us and I know what steps I must take to achieve those. It does take me a while to get into work from where I live but my company covers some of those costs.

There are a lot of opportunities outside of work, such as the company sports day which takes place every year at a different location. The accommodation and facilities are all paid for, all you have to do is turn up! We have a sports and social committee which organise events for every one in the office to take part in, such as go-karting, escape rooms, payday meals, table tennis and to be part of the 5 a side team. Anywhere we go is usually really close to the office as we are based in Manchester city centre. The sports and social committee also cover 20% of the cost!

Yes

I would recommend Mott MacDonald for many reasons. In terms of progression past the apprenticeship, I feel they have a really good degree programme. They also have offices around the world and there are many opportunities to travel to other countries and work there. I feel the company has really supported my development as an apprentice by training me and providing me with new skills. The responsibilities I have gained in terms of where I was when I first started and where I am now shows that they have seen me develop and recognised my achievements. My manager and team members are really supportive and the work I receive is challenging, I am always learning new things and developing skills so for an apprenticeship, I believe that Mott MacDonald tick all the right boxes and I look forward to my career with them.

The application process consists of maths, English and engineering exams so definitely brush up on some before the exams. The interview is a competency based interview so they will ask you set questions. You have to really know why you want the apprenticeship and why you want to work for Mott MacDonald, so looking up the companies history is really helpful. Past experience is also very useful so explain to the interviewer and show them what you have been doing in your spare time that can relate to working for them. The whole interview is an experience in its self. All I would say is understand what you want to and will be doing in the future, show them that you are passionate about it and be yourself.