Civil Engineering Technician Apprentice Review

My apprenticeship is training me to become a Civil Engineering Technician which therefore gives me the opportunity to go out on site and see what actually happens. Personally for myself, this is great because I see what happens in the background regarding paperwork and then I get to see what has just been planned become into reality. The project I am involved in is extending a dual carriageway which has 10km of road and also includes 15 bridges along the way. So my role within the project is to do the paperwork and the setting-out and anything else if necessary.

At the moment I haven't earned many qualifications but the ones I have achieved is the CSCS Card which allows you onto site and I am also a trained Fire Marshall. I am also completing the actual engineering course and I am going to be going on a setting-out course, First Aid Course, CAT and Genny, Defibrillator and PTS (which will allow me to go work on the railway.)

I enjoy my apprenticeship a lot as the work gives me the constant experience of what I will need for my future within the industry. The people who I work with are great; they help me whenever I need it, they're supportive and genuinely are helping me progress with my experience. The company culture is to work together as a team and get the project done on time. The company also want to please the client and public by using local subcontractors to do our jobs. This apprenticeship has met my expectations and more as it is real eye opener in what I can actually become a part of within the future.

I feel valued everyday as my colleagues at the company are always asking for me to go out with them and give them a helping hand which is what I need in my training to become an engineer

You have to be inducted before you start on the project and this usually takes an hour where you will get told the jobs rules and regulations. The company will also try and give you as much training and experience as possible to enhance my abilities. I also get a lot of support when it comes to my training and studying as they know this is part of my training and that it is very important. Everything is planned out well on the course and the structure of the project makes the job run nicely.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider as they are always there to give me advice and help when it comes to my work and portfolio. They check up on you throughout the training day and are always there at the other end of the phone and email if you ever need them out of training day.

I receive a lot of support from my employer as they want me to get progress further within the industry. Like my tutor, they are always there at the other end of the phone or email if I ever need it which is important for me personally as I'm always trying to improve.

My salary meets my costs well as I usually get public transport as I can't drive as of yet which is good. I can also afford to do other social activities which therefore means it is suitable for my needs.

As I get public transport home I get home quite late due to the distance I live away from the job which means I can't do much after work. However, at the weekends there is plenty to do which means I can be kept busy if I feel I need to be.

Yes

If they are interested in getting an apprenticeship then I would definitely recommend it as this is a great opportunity to learn about your dream career.

When applying for the apprenticeship answer any questions honestly and truthfully and to the best of your ability because when you get to the interview stage the employer will have a note of your answers. On the day of the interview you just have to remember to keep calm and be yourself as the employer is mostly going to be looking at your personality and attitude towards the job. So when it comes to be assessed both on the interview and when on the course take it seriously but make sure you work as a team with your others around you. When getting the experience try to understand the process of how things work and if you don't, ask and try to get help to learn about it.