Apprentice- Design Engineering Review

Starting off as an apprentice, you work your way up by gaining new qualifications and experience in order to progress and gain new and higher job titles e.g. technician, engineer etc. The day to day tasks are varied and are constantly changing over time, expanding your knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. There are plenty of areas and projects open to the opportunity to be able to work on, with responsibilities which can be considered a vital part of your team.

Throughout the apprenticeship, you work towards gaining your NVQ and BTEC in Civil Engineering, which can then progress onto a HNC and degree with hard work and good grades in the future. There are always in house training courses available, offering plenty of chances to widen your knowledge and help you in you=r specific job and required skills. In addition, there are chances to travel outside of the office and take part in training elsewhere and meet new faces. Lunchtime meetings and presentations are always ocurring, as well as team talks non-work related activities to help the days feel even more enjoyable and easier.

Working within this company, not one person i have met has gave me a bad impression or made me feel disheartened or on edge- every face you meet is welcoming, kind and easy to talk to, helping with communication within the team and confidence and reassurance when working as a new apprentice. Before staring my apprenticeship, I did not know what to expect and was worried about how i would adapt and fit in with the 'working' lifestyle... However, after my first week of working here, I felt appreciated and comfortable with where I was, as well as knowing that my expectations would not be dissapointed and I should not just be happy for getting this apprenticeship, but proud too.

Within my working career here so far (around 9-10 months), I have recieved lots of praise and also constructive critisizm on the work I have produced, the achievments I have accomplished and what I can do to better myself not just as an employee, but an indivudal in the non-working world. You dont just get recognition from the internal people, but after family and friends hearing about my progress and what this company has done for me so far, they have shown pride and support in my early career and have praised Arup for their effort and time in which they have and are putting into me as an apprentice. I have worked on various projects already, some small but where my position and responsiblities are more higher, and some bigger projects where you feel priviledged to have an involvement in them and look forward to seeing your work make an impact not just on a screen, but in real life too.

Overall, this apprenticeship is very well orgainised with a strong, supported structure keeping it in check. Their is a great induction weekend for new apprentice starters when first joining, to give an insight of what to expect with Arup, but mainly to meet the other new apprentices from across the UK and feel welcomed and comfortbale with the company and its employees. There are plenty of training and support to help guide and boost you progression of the job and the skills you are learning- rangong from hourly activties, to 2 day training courses outside of the office. Balancing both work and study life simultaneously can be quite difficuly, however, the support and meetings with mentors and managers in order to keep a check on your situation is a great opportunity to speak about how you are coping and voice any opinions/feelings you may currently have.

There is such a huge amount of support and advice given throughout the company and during the apprenticship that there really is no fault to mention within the system. Regular meetups with mentors, being assigned a 'buddy' and having so much training put on offer, really does help you majorly through the apprenticeship and puts a real boost into your motivation, deication and desire to thrive within the bsiness and job role. There are plans and structures put in place for any problems you may have or issues you feel the need to talk about- whether work related or not. The general attitude towards people wanting to help you succeed is greatly recogniseable and it is a great trait which Arup contains and maintains.

There is such a huge amount of support and advice given throughout the company and during the apprenticship that there really is no fault to mention within the system. Regular meetups with mentors, being assigned a 'buddy' and having so much training put on offer, really does help you majorly through the apprenticeship and puts a real boost into your motivation, deication and desire to thrive within the bsiness and job role. There are plans and structures put in place for any problems you may have or issues you feel the need to talk about- whether work related or not. The general attitude towards people wanting to help you succeed is greatly recogniseable and it is a great trait which Arup contains and maintains.

In regards to the pay Arup provide, with regular salary boosts and pay rises throughput the course of the apprenticeship, it is more than manageable and if anything, is a great compliment to make you want to go into work and stay motivated even more so.In terms of being able to spend your money freely and without worry, at the young age in which most apprentices are, it is more than eas and feasible to be able to put your money towards living, travel, social expenses etc. Furthermore, the location of the Campus office is great. Being so local to Solihull town centre, the railway station and the M42 motorway, travelling around and getting access to the office is perfect! Especially with the free shuttle bus which runs from both Birmingham International and Solihull train station straight to the doorstep of the Arup office.

There are a wide variety of opportunities to attend events and activities outsude of the workplace. There are numerous company events regarding celebrations, success, important events etc. Also,as i am sporty myself, Arup host a number of sports teams within Campus for anyone interested- I choose to attend and take part in Arup's football team, which also hosts a football tour every year where all the offices take part in a tournament against each other.

Yes

Arup is a company who take pride in the work they do and produce to the best of their ability. They achieve this by ensuring their employee's are looked after properly and everyone comes to work with a smile on their face. The environment within the office is friendly, welcoming and comforting. We're more than 13,000 specialists, working across 90+ disciplines in more than 35 countries. Anyone who is a part of the Arup family should have great pride and dedication, as with the hard work and perserverence required for success, you are more than likely to progress quickly throughout the business.

Know your stuff; research about the company, get to know it's history, be a person who asks questions and is eager to 'know', look into Arup's past and current projects etc... To make yourself stand out at Arup on the interviews and assessment days, be the person who makes it clear they are passionate, motivated and eager to know more about the company- more than they already do. Show your passion through how you express yourself and show your knowledge by sharing your skills and interests around relevant topics. Be the person to ask lots of questions- want to know more. If i was to go back to when I was in my stages of pllying to Arup, even thugh I got the apprenticeship, I would still change a lot of things, all which I've mentioned above. If you know your stuff and make it clear you know what you want and portay yourself as a dedicated and hard working individual, you'll be fine.