Assistant Project Manager Review

Project Management services throughout the project life-cycle, including but not limited to, programme monitoring, change control, contract management, contractual advice, stakeholder management, risk management, planning, writing, and providing reports, developing dashboards, managing consultant fees, cashflow management, managing health and safety, understanding CDM regulations, understanding building regulations, managing handovers and conducting lessons learnt workshops.

Yes, as I started my apprenticeship straight out of school, the skills that I have learnt in the past five years have helped me enormously to develop my level of service to my clients. Skills such as communication, negotiation, client care, effective stakeholder management, risk management, cash, flow management and forecasting have been some of the key skills I have developed.

The programme has been very intense and has required a lot of dedication. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge along the way and have taken much satisfaction from seeing myself develop and being able to provide professional services and advice to my clients. I have enjoyed being able to put what I have learnt at university into practice.

The programme unfortunately wasn’t very well organised internally. The University provider had organised the content well over the four years. However, my employer was not proactive enough in being able to provide the right experience to complement what I was learning at university. I felt as though it was left to the individual to make sure they’re getting the right experience required.

Overall, the level of support that I received from my employer was good. I was provided with a regular study day in which to complete my university studies. I was also allowed to carry out additional training throughout my apprenticeship, which has helped me to expand my knowledge and understanding. I have also been given additional study days where required and have received a network of support throughout the apprenticeship.

As Stated the previous answer, I was provided with one study day per week. When I passed my internal prequalification process (endpoint assessment) the business stopped supporting my study days, despite still having to work towards completing my chartership. Given this qualification is a requirement of the apprenticeship, I do think it should be extended until the chartership has been achieved.

I thought the degree was very relevant to my day-to-day role. The studies have helped me to gain a better understanding of why certain things are done and how they should be done. It has enabled me to have a more well rounded understanding of the construction industry to be able to better advise my clients.

There are a lot of extra curricular opportunities within the business. For example, there is a networking group, specifically targeted for young professionals. There are also regular team events and activities to get involved with. The business also put on regular CPD events to help support the continuous learning journey. Opportunities to attend external networking opportunities are also well advertised internally.

Yes

Overall, I would recommend Arcadis because of their access to industry leading projects and colleagues. Working at Arcadis gives you a great opportunity to develop yourself and learn from some of the very best within the industry. Due to the size of the organisation, we also have good support structures in place to develop young professionals.

Be curious. By asking questions and having a passion to develop your understanding you will learn a tremendous amount. Although degree apprenticeships are very demanding, the experience and knowledge gained from it is worth it. Do your research. Know what you’re signing up for and be prepared. Lastly, have an open mind and enjoy the journey.