Civil Engineer Apprentice Review

On a day to day basis my roles are varied, one day I may be in the office where I create reports, draw CAD models and interpret technical drawings, while other days I will be out on site setting out work which is to be completed using specialist equipment, checking the work that has been completed is correct or solving problems that arise during the work being completed.

I have learnt a great deal of new skills, most of which are CAD drawing skills as well as how to interpret technical drawings and how to use them. As well as this I have learnt physical skills such as problem solving when issues arise on site and managing and working with groups of people

I do enjoy the vast majority of the programme, the college block in leeds was very enjoyable where I am able to make friends with the other apprentices. Being on placement is also enjoyable as you are on site seeing a large project being built in real time as well as having an impact on how it turns out which creates a real sense of belonging.

The programme is well organised in term of the college block which we are told about well before we begin are block, however one aspect which lacked organisation was the initial transfer from college block to site, where we didn't find out until the last week where we were going to be sent.

I have recived lots of support from both the apprenticeship team and the people on my site, who were both friendly and approachable, the apprenticeship team are easily to contact and reply quickly and in most cases can help out right away, which makes the apprenticeship much easier and enjoyable.

I have received lots of support from the Leeds college of building during my block release, the college provided me with lots of work which allowed me to reach my full potential while also having a framework in place I could go to if I needed support with the work and its impacts

The qualification I will gain from college will improve how I perform in my role as I will have the the knowledge of how to complete tasks, however the largest contribution in improving my performance is spending time on the job and on site as I am able to learn much faster as I can see the theory that I learnt in college being applied to real world situations.

BAM Nuttall has a social framework within the company which allows for people to connect, additionally there is a framework called young bam which focuses on the young people within BAM who are just starting their career. There are also webinars and online workshops which allow people to network together.

Yes

Each day is different and the people within the company are nice, additionally there is the opportunity to grow and expand your career, as you progress through the company. However the prospect of working away from home can be daunting and as a civil engineer the hours can be long and tiring which is something to bear in mind.

Make sure that you do your research about company and the projects that it has been involved with so that you stand out in the interview. It is important that if you are applying that you have a strong interest and passion in construction as it demands a lot of commitment.