Trainee Civil Engineer Review

I work on Skanska Oxfordshire Highways contract as Trainee Civil engineer. I Worked for 1 year as construction site supervisor and my daily tasks were to supervise works, ensure correct H&S on site, ensure correct Traffic Management on site, prepare and review site files, conduct site safety inspections, report to project managers about any delays/unexpected changes. My next rotation is Bridge design, where I'm working as engineering support and I'm helping with delivering bridge and design related projects.

I developed my time management skills and I learned how to manage people and resources on site. I exercised my personal responsibility for myself, projects and everyone working on that projects. I also learnt about highway maintenance and associated risks, safety measures, requirements, standards etc. In my new role I'm currently learning design processes and delivering projects from the design support side.

I really enjoy my programme. I'm grateful for the support provided everyday and I enjoy facing new challenges. Thanks to the vast span of projects I participate in various activities and learn range of skills required from civil engineers. I believe that this programme will help me become good and competent engineer and I'm proud of being here.

My programme is well structured both at the university and at work. this is 6 year degree apprenticeship and Academic content is split into 5 years of study followed by 1 year preparation for end point assessment, which is IEng review with ICE. At work I have 6-12 months rotations within the company, what gives me opportunity to gain experience in various roles and gain lots of useful skills.

I have full support from my employer and senior engineers. As per my training agreement I have minimum of 20% of my working hours assigned for off the job training and university leave. I receive help from my co-workers and managers in both academic works problems and challenges I face at work.

At the university apart of the course content I have access to the range of physical and virtual resources from the library and lots of additional help like math support classes, academic writing support. I also have free access to the professional software used in engineering. Academic tutors are always available to provide feedback or help in clarifying issues regarding the course content or other engineering related problems.

I'm gaining theoretical and practical skills and knowledge that is essential in civil engineer's role. Course content at the university is tailored to the needs of modern engineering industry and I benefit from the vast experience of my tutors. Lots of real life examples of the problems and solutions give valuable insight into true purpose of engineering.

At work we have various activities such as weekly football or occasional networking events (lectures, presentations etc.). We also have Graduate and Technicians forum, which gathers people of various education and experience level interested in pursuing professional qualification with Institute of Civil Engineers. I'm also allowed to participate in ICE events and attend courses related to my job role.

Yes

It's one of the largest companies in the industry and one of the world leaders in health&safety and quality of delivered projects. Skanska delivers lots of interesting and challenging projects, where you can gain valuable experience and develop your skills in the friendly and supportive environment. There are lots of very experienced engineers who are always willing to help with engineering problems.

Be yourself. Stay enthusiastic and show that you will be valuable asset to the company. Be creative, open minded and have a motivation to learn and improve as a professional and as a person. Don't be afraid of new challenges. Be a team player. demonstrate that you are suitable person for the company and that you understand Skanska's values.