Site Engineer Review

Day-to-day, I am out on site for a majority of the time managing works, setting out, dealing with sub-contractors, etc. With site work being the priority, documentation, meetings and other office work usually comes later into the day, normally late morning/early afternoon so that the site workers have everything they need from me first.

I have learned a very wide range of new skills in my role. This was both through trainings and just being on the job. In daily work you will learn to use equipment such as, total stations, laser levels, dumpy/digital levels. Along with equipment you will learn many new managerial skills, you will develop your confidence, get better at working as part of a larger team but also on independent tasks.

I find my programme extremely enjoyable. The construction industry is forever changing and there are always new innovative construction methods being established. Not only is day to day work exciting but being able to get a taste of the university experience without having to attend full time was perfect for me. Getting 8 weeks out of the year at university in blocks breaks up the time spent there nicely.

The programme is structured very well. Through out the apprenticeship there is a range of modules that you will attend to further your learning at the times they become relevant. Along with this, the university structure is perfect. It gives the perfect balance between working and studying allowing to complete work to a high standard in education and the work place.

Laing O'Rourke is extremely supportive of all of its employees, not just it's apprentices. However, extra support is always available for members of the professional apprenticeship programme. You are assigned academic and employer mentors that you can ask any questions to regarding your studies or work. Also many employees of Laing O'Rourke have gone through an apprenticeship or graduate programme, meaning they know what you are going through and can help to support you through anything you are struggling with.

The university of Exeter are very active is making sure you are working to the highest standard and are very quick to offer support if they notice and issues before you may even have raised them. The tutors, PHD students and academic mentor are always available and happy to work through example questions for topics or answer any questions you have about the educational side of the apprenticeship as a whole.

The qualification is linked directly into my role and I believe it helps an enormous amount. There are specific modules that may be more useful than others at a specific time, however civil engineering is such a diverse field that you can work in any area of construction so the broad knowledge on different topic may eventually come in useful.

Although I don't take part in a lot of the extra curricular activities that Laing O'Rourke have available I always jump at the chance to attend apprenticeship events. This is something I believe Laing O'Rourke do very well, being a part of these events allow me to share my experiences and give any future starters the knowledge they may need to get into the role.

Yes

I believe Laing O'Rourke is a fantastic company to be a part of. As an apprentice they support you 110% and do their best to push you. The employee benefits are also very lucrative whether you are an apprentice, graduate or employee. Laing O'Rourke treat their employees as people and not just numbers. There is always paths to progress and the progression plan (at least on the apprenticeship) is very well laid out and structured with yearly pay increases.

When applying for Laing O'Rourke my biggest piece of advice would be to research the company and find out for yourself why it is a brilliant place to work. Also make sure you look into current projects that Laing O'Rourke are working on and get a knowledge of those. I would even suggest picking one project that interests you the most and referencing that as much as possible with interesting facts and figures you have found.