Building Services Degree Apprentice Review

In my role I typically assist HVAC engineers in my team by completing assigned tasks both under supervision and independently. Typical work days include attending meetings, working on reports, working on BIM models producing calcs and producing drawings with AutoCAD. In term, I attend university 1 work day per week to complete assignments and exams.

Since working at Mott MacDonald I have learned to professionally produce drawings, reports and schematics to client and company standards. I have learned to use a variety of software including AutoCAD, Revit, Excel, Hevacomp, IES and Recap. My line manager and area manager are happy to assign me work if I want to develop a particular skill/ work in a specific sector. Colleagues are also happy to offer advice from their experiences.

Due to the nature of the work in this sector work can occasionally be quite slow however contributing to a project and coordinating with other disciplines to make a finished building can be very interesting. The university course is unfortunately not entirely relevant to my role as of yet as there is more of a focus on civil engineering rather than building services, despite the course name.

In work, colleagues will gain an understanding of my abilities before assigning me work and training is provided to help settle in to an office environment. A remote course is also provided for all apprentice new starters to develop the right mindset for the role and help learn to collaborate with other apprentices and colleagues. The usual degree course of 3 years is extended to 5 years to allow for part time study. Despite the course content, this makes the balance between work, study and social life much more manageable.

My line manager and colleagues are always happy to support me and the company is very welcoming to apprentices. If I want to gain experience in a specific project, discipline or department, I am able to get work in these areas. Engineers and technicians I work with are eager to pass knowledge to newer employees and apprentices are especially encouraged to ask for help whenever they need it.

The quality and usefulness of different lectures can vary and it can often be difficult to determine which information is actually relevant to the course and my job. However lecturers and my assigned tutor are mostly happy to help with anything I don't understand and will listen to any concerns students may have.

Later in the course, I will supposedly be learning about more advanced and sustainable design methods which will help me build knowledge I can apply to my work. I can also confidently work on more specialised designs with this knowledge. However in these first two years, only the first has been somewhat relevant to my work. The content of the 2nd year has not been relevant to my discipline and is more beneficial for structural/ civil engineers.

There is a sports and social club who frequently organise events such as bowling, skiing, football, and pub meets and prices are often discounted. There are also plenty of opportunities to formally network with other colleagues through different events and through Mott MacDonald's Early Career Professionals program, which provides webinars, meetups and training days.

Yes

I'm very happy with my time at Mott MacDonald so far and feel I have learned a lot. The projects are exciting to work on and colleagues are happy to support development. University also provides the opportunity to develop knowledge which can be applied to the workplace, as well as the opportunity to network with other apprentices.

Present yourself as eager to learn and emphasise that you would ask for support when needed if asked. You aren't expected to know everything from the very start. If you are asked technical questions in the interview, don't worry about getting the question wrong but DO explain reasoning for your answer, don't just guess. Interviewers are more interested in your honest approach to problems, rather than guessing the right answer. It helps to do some research into building services first, as it can cover many disciplines in the job (mainly mechanical or electrical). Present your CV clearly and don't fill it with irrelevant information. While you aren't required to be in the office full time, make sure you have a reasonable commute distance. Lastly, if by chance you are unfortunately not accepted, do not get disheartened. Apprenticeships are deceptively very difficult to be accepted into and there are many other applicants alongside you. If you are confident, honest about any lack of knowledge and show you are eager to learn, you'll likely stand out more.