Apprentice Electrical Engineer Review

I am currently working in the MEP team in St. Albans as an apprentice electrical design engineer. I have found my role to be quite varied in the time I have been here, since joining my role has included tasks such as producing drawings through CAD and BIM software’s, liaising with senior engineers to produce detailed and technical designs, performing calculations and incorporating these into designs and reviewing and commenting on drawings are just a few of the tasks I have participated in. I also travel to London one day a week for University and sometimes required to travel to other locations for meetings or site visits.

From attending university I have developed my maths and physics skills significantly - which is of course very important as it is often the underlying principles of the design work that an Engineer does. I have also learnt to use various software, particularly CAD such as AutoCAD and Microstation. I’ve also been able to learn Revit which is a cutting edge BIM software, this will be very beneficial for me in my future career as it is the latest software for MEP design. I’ve been able to carry out some calculations such as lighting and Electrical load calculations which have been incorporated into designs.

I have enjoyed the programme for the most part. I've found the job role to be engaging and challenging which are important factors for me, I feel like I have been utilised efficiently in my role and I'm learning a lot - prehaps even more than I thought I would going into the apprenticeship.

Quite well structured, the university process of sitting exams and gaining qualifications etc has been run for a long time and so the university and my employer are familiar with many of the processes. However the new requirement of going through the 'End Point Assessment' seems to be a new concept and the process is still not 100% clear - there are some things that could be straightended out.

As I have been able to work whilst studying, I have obviously had exposure and started to gain experience which I simply would not get from studying fulltime. As described above, I have already worked on interesting projects and have been able to benefit from the vast experience and knowledge of my colleagues. This also makes studying easier as I am able to apply what I’m learning at university to industry situations, also having engineers in the office who can help with my studies is a huge benefit, especially when there is something I am perhaps struggling with or don’t understand.

A significant level of support is given, lectures are provided all day once a week which I always attend, there are procedures in place to give further support for students if required - whilst I have never felt the need to make use of this personally it has been well advertised. There are also regular 'drop in' sessions to give further support if you are struggling.

It has certainly helped, whilst at work I am obviously learning the practical side to the role, attending university has given me a better understanding of the principles behind what I am learning at work. Also the course I am on covers all aspects of building services giving me a more well rounded knowledge of the industry as a whole.

There is a good work/social balance at AECOM, there is a sports and social club available to all employees, which hosts various events such as go karting, theatre trips, quiz nights and many other events. At the end of every month there is an end of month drinks night open to everyone where you can meet people from different departments.

Yes

AECOM is a large company with a large variety of jobs available, within the disciplines of Engineering alone there are many different opportunities, meaning there will likely be at least something that you find will match your skillset and interests. I feel that gaining experience in the kind of work that AECOM has is an opportunity that can set you up for a career in engineering..

My advice would be to research each role and ensure you choose the best role for you. If you are considering a career in engineering I would recommend the apprenticeship route, for me personally it has been so much more beneficial than studying full time as you gain the essential practical application of what you are learning - which gives you a major advantage and better understanding of the job role.