Civil Engineering Senior Technician Review

As a senior technician, I mainly help site engineers on-site, assist in office activities and shadow experienced engineers on-site. Examples of these activities may include: setting out, marking lines for excavation, laying batter rails and pegs, quality checks and assurance, as-builts, etc. It is safe to say my everyday role is to learn as much as I can.

Yes, I have. Mainly on-site, I have developed my communication skills with operators on-site using correct terminologies. I can confidently give levels to machine operators and conduct quality checks on activities like slump tests and formworks. I currently handle some of the actions regarding ProjectWise on my site and seem to be doing it very well. I learn and improve every single day on-site.

I enjoy it very much. It exposes you to a plethora of disciplines across the construction industry. The best part is that you get to meet new people and develop important contacts. The experience I have been acquiring so far is second to none. The cherry on it all is that you also get paid for learning.

It is very well laid out. You get to see how you progress over the years in a simple and structured manner. Since other people have passed through the same programme, you can easily ask questions if needed or ask your assessors, and your questions will be answered in no time.

I have received every support I could need so far, and I know they are willing to accommodate me in situations where I struggle or need more support. It is a friendly environment where everyone is included and treated fairly. I also do Knowledge, Skills and behaviour (KSB) with my assessor tailored towards my qualification. The workspace is very supportive, from my co-workers, line manager, assessors and early careers representatives.

I have an assessor assigned to me, and she helps with everything that has to do with my experience and qualification, including site placement and college work. At least once a month, we have meetings to measure my progression towards my qualification and the steps needed to get there. My line manager and supervisor on-site also have meetings with me to make sure I am learning as much as I can and if it compliments my studies at college, they make sure I am comfortable and make sure they provide solutions to any problems I might have.

Since I have been on-site since November 2023, I have been able to link the topics and subjects I have taken in college to the site works. This makes it much easier to understand the activities on-site. There is a link to every activity on site, and knowing the basics of this process plays a great deal in how well you understand the activities on-site.

Some events are sometimes organised within the team. For example, on my project Transpennine Route Upgrade West, we recently went for a late-night dinner, and we are also planning to go for a weekend golf trip to Paris. There are networking events within the early careers team that are informative. The ones I have attended so far have also helped my Continuous Professional Development record.

Yes

It has given me a better chance in the construction industry, unlike a graduate student who may struggle to get employment in a decent job role due to a lack of experience. The apprenticeship has helped me build impressive contact lists and exposed me to a wide range of experiences on and off-site.

They should be sure the industry is the right place for them. And they are willing to do what it takes to progress. When it comes to the interview, they should make sure they are themselves and they do not need to be savvy on their construction disciplines as they are not expected to know that much.