Transport Planner Review

I am an apprentice Transport planner, I work within a team of around 50 people and I am involved in several different projects. Each day is different to the previous and I do something different almost everyday which is very helpful as it gives me a broader knowledge of the job.

I am working towards a Level 3 BTEC in transport planning after which I will be a Transport Planning Technician. I have learned to use many industry recognised programmes which was done by a mixture of on the job training and external training courses offered by the company. Some of the programmes I have learned to use include AutoCAD, ArcGIS, Adobe Packages and MS programmes.

I really enjoy my programme, the things I do are interesting and engaging. The team I work with are also very friendly and helpful so I feel welcome and find it easy to talk to people when I have a problem. The course is different to what I first expected, but in a good way because I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I do.

I feel relatively valued at Arup, especially that I'm only an apprentice however everyone treats me with the same respect as what they have for anyone else which I think is a really good thing. Also many people quickly realise what you're good and bad at so they know which things they can approach you for help with which leads to you being involved in many projects around the team.

I think the programme is well organised to an extent. Everyone within Arup knows about the apprenticeship and what's going on however the college course can be a little difficult to grasp but overall I think everything is well structured. Work load is good and it's ensured you don't get too much work for what you can handle. You also get assigned a buddy and a mentor who usually sit not far from you and are there to help you whenever you need something.

The college I go to tends to give a lot of support, however this varies between lecturers and sometimes it can be difficult to get a hold of them which can be especially difficult if you have a deadline for an assignment coming up. My overall view however is that the college is generally supportive and helpful.

In comparison the the amount of support I receive from college, I think a lot more support is provided by Arup. It's ensured that you always have someone to ask if you have questions about something or you don't understand and the person you ask will always make time to help you out. This can be answering a question, showing you how to do something or even things as simple as finding your way around the building which also proves to be tricky.

For someone at an apprenticeship age, the salary is more than adequate. Because of the office I work in travel is pretty expensive but it's just something anyone working in London has to bare in mind. Apart from that, if you're doing well at work you are likely to get a rise in pay once a year. The daily cost are as what you would expect anywhere so I think the salary/package is fine.

The company regularly holds team events and meeting where everyone meets up and gets to know each other and the rest of the team better. There are also many pages on Yammer which are specific to people working within a certain office and include things like running clubs and tennis clubs. Near to the London office there are many facilities for several activities so anyone can find something to suit them.

Yes

I think Arup is a really good place to work and as a company offers many opportunities for people who wish to succeed in what thy're doing. It's also an easy place to work, by which I mean it's open for everyone who shows that they like doing what they do and are enthusiastic about what they're doing.

My advice would be to keep your options open. Just because you came to Arup trying to be a Civil Engineering apprentice doesn't mean that's what you should do, there are many other options to choose from, and it's also important you find as much out about a field of work before applying to make sure you actually know what apprenticeship you're applying for and the types of things you will be doing.