Apprentice Planner Engineer Review

by Costain

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

8.5/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Managing the timescale for a construction project to not exceed the deadline within different computer software's and to determine a critical path. Attending collaborative planning sessions to come up with ways to achieve this and to come up with ideas which will decrease the completion time of the project.

9/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

I have learnt many new skills as well as developing existing skills, these include leadership,motivation and communication skills when leading a planning collaborative session with the engineers. The attention to detail is another skill which i have learnt, this is not about the speed the work has been achieved at, it is about the quality of the work i have put in.

10/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I enjoy my programme highly as no two days are the same. I am learning more than just planning and i can ask anyone for there help and experience. My suggestions are always valid whether they are correct or not, everyone understands the potential of any ideas which i think is great.

10/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

From what i know, considering there is only one person dealing with around 150 apprentices i think that the programme is well organised and structured. I think the company could improve more, but they wont manage this until they hire more advisors to manage the apprentices to a good extent.

8/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

I receive a lot of support from my employer, my role persists of asking for help on a day to day basis. If my manager can not help me at that moment in time, then there will always be someone else who can. My employer focuses on health and well being, the support i get from them is very helpful.

10/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

I think this is the only downfall of my apprenticeship, my classes are not enjoyable and they could include a lot more teaching instead of directing. I have mainly used the internet and college books in order to gain my knowledge i have now, instead of my teacher teaching me.

6/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

I don't believe it does help me perform better in my role, i have had many visits from CITB officers and i have mentioned issues which could help my performance develop but nothing has come from them. The qualification does give benefits to my job role, but I don't believe I am getting taught well enough in order to perform any better.

5/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

There are networking events i get involved in regularly and i am always trying to fill my diary with training courses to develop my knowledge of the construction industry and meeting new people within Costain. The project i am part of always has networking events and have now introduced fitness and well being sessions.

10/10

9a. Would you recommend Costain to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

A great working environment to be in and a company who are interested in your development and the work you do. Costain focuses on health and well being, the support i get from them is very helpful and i believe others would want this to be noticed within there work place.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Costain?

Show interest of the construction industry, tell them you want to learn more than just the basics. Ask them the same amount of questions that they ask you, this shows just how interested you are and that's the main thing they care about if they will be putting money into you when you get the job.