Apprentice Transport Planner Review

As an Apprentice Transport Planner, I assist my teams on a variety of different projects. Most of the work I have been involved in has consisted of contributing to the writing of reports, creating figures such as GIS maps and looking at data. Recently, I have had the opportunity to go out on site around Manchester for a walking and cycling project which was great fun. In addition to my Transport Planning Role, I am the Early Career Professional Lead for my team in Manchester, I am responsible for keeping my team informed of office activities, networking opportunities and any training / development courses that may be available.

Since starting my role in September 2021, I have built on a number of skills. One huge difference I have noticed in myself, is my improved confidence and communication skills. I enjoy contributing to my team as much as I can and there are lots of opportunities within my company to network, not only with people within my division, but across Motts as a whole. I have also had the opportunity to learn how to use some software such as ArcGIS and can now produce my own maps that show data which are valuable in report writing.

I really enjoy my programme. Not only have I developed my skills and had a chance to learn on the job, but I have met lots of people on my journey. I have made valuable friends on my college course, whom I'm still in touch with despite college being over, and I have a lovely team around me in the Manchester office.

I believe my programme is organised. Leeds College of Building were very good at maintaining structure throughout our time there, in fact, we were even ahead of schedule which has meant we can apply for our End Point Assessment Earlier. The only thing I would say needs improvement is the communication between the College and my Employer. There has been quite a lot of confusion in some aspects of the course in terms of knowing exactly what is needed of us / next steps etc.

I feel very supported by Motts. My team in particular have been very helpful in trying to find work for me which would fit in with the criteria I needed for my portfolio. They are always on hand to answer any questions or concerns I may have, and even if I have a question they may not know, they still find an answer and get back to me later on.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider in terms of working towards my qualification. They have ensured that I completed all my assignments to a good standard and have provided information on how to progress further.

By compiling a portfolio I have been exposed to a variety of different specialisms within Transport Planning and so have gained a lot of experience. I have also had the chance to see which part of transport planning I enjoy most and may want to branch out into once I have finished my course.

Yes. We have an ECP network as I mentioned earlier which covers the entire office, we have lunch and learn sessions, training sessions and webinars which are a great way to network and learn. We also have a sports and social team who organise things like sports day, rock climbing and team drinks.

Yes

They look after their employees which I think is a very important attribute for a company to have. I am surrounded by a great bunch of people and I am happy in my job.

Try and get some work experience before you join, make sure you know what you are applying for and why - it's important to be passionate in what you do.