Civil Engineering Degree Level Apprentice Review

Specialising in the transport sector's rail division, I'm primarily responsible for the design and modelling of numerous civil engineering projects, working with a variety of clients across the UK. My experience to date encompasses GRIP stages 1-8 with regards to the upgrade and renewal of different rail assets.

Everything civil engineering related which I have learnt as part of my apprenticeship has been a new skill, I have no previous experience in this field. I studied for a BSc in Physics when I left school in 1997; this is certainly useful as I have existing mathematical and problem solving skills.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme, every day is different and I have variety in my working week with a day at university, a couple of days in the office and a couple of days at home. I'm surrounded by colleagues and academics with industry knowledge, all of whom are kind and caring too.

The apprenticeship programme is extremely well organised and structured. I have a work place facilitator and a university mentor, and the 3 of us have quarterly tripartite reviews to check my progress and ensure I'm on track to achieve the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to pass my end point assessment.

My employer is extremely supportive, ensuring I get exposure to a wide variety of activities which relate directly to my university learning, as well as giving me a day each week for off the job training, whether that's attending uni during term time or self-study / development for my continuous personal development.

The University of Derby are always on hand via email to answer any questions or provide adhoc support required between my weekly on campus day. The lectures and tutorials I attend are well planned and additional support is provided in the run up to assessments via remote online drop in sessions.

It helps me understand the principles behind the work I undertake on behalf of my employer, for example the calculations needed as part of the design process. It also provides me with a safe environment to develop my skills, where there is no budget or client pressures to manage at the same time.

I'm part of an Early Careers Professionals network in the workplace who organise various local networking events. I have the opportunity to partake in an annual sports day; there are numerous sports teams too which I can be involved in from running to climbing, football to rugby. There's a social event approx. every month too.

Yes

Working for Mott MacDonald is like being part of a family. Everyone is approachable and willing to help, no questions are off limits and they pay for your university tuition fees on top of a very competitive apprenticeship salary. What's not to like - they're generous and welcoming too.

Be yourself during the application process. With Mott MacDonald, it's as much about getting to know you and assessing whether you'll fit well into their team; it's not all about academic prowess. It's never too late to change profession either - apprenticeships aren't just for school leavers.