Apprentice Environmental Consultant Review

As an apprentice environmental consultant I have been involved in a number of different projects covering several different sectors, including rail and water. Some of my responsibilities on these projects have included carrying out environmental checklists, report writing, creating maps using GIS (a type of software) and other miscellaneous tasks.

As part of my apprenticeship, I have learnt GIS skills, which is a type of mapping software, I have also developed my report writing skills including skills relating to structuring reports. I have also further developed some of my soft skills including communication skills, time management skills and independent working.

I find myself learning at least one new thing nearly every day and enjoy the mixture of work and study. Balancing work and study is sometimes challenging when there are multiple deadlines, so requires good time management skills and organisation, but I have found the overall experience rewarding so far.

Study aspects of my programme are well organised in terms of there being a set of modules assigned to each year with regular reviews between the apprentice, employer and university to ensure everything stays on track. In terms of workload, there can be varying levels of busyness, but this is usually balanced out by resourcing.

There are allowances and flexibility in terms of the other responsibilities an apprentice has, such as study requirements, regular reviews and the time requirements needed to track your progress. There is also fantastic support from my line manager and other members of the team, e.g. asking questions and learning is encouraged.

Regular reviews take place between apprentices, employers, and the university to track progress in terms of the apprenticeship programme. Good support is also offered towards study with lecturers making adjustments in terms of deadlines if needed, when this is possible. Valuable feedback is also provided on assignments to aid apprentices in learning.

There are some modules that are more valuable than others, particularly as job roles can vary with the university needing to provide learning to accommodate everyone. Overall, practical learning as part of the qualification is particularly useful, for instance learning new software such as GIS which I have found very transferable to my role. There have also been modules in which I am not currently applying my learning, but will be in the future when applicable work opportunities come around.

My office has several sport social teams such as badminton and football that are available to get involved in, with most taking place after work. There are also often fundraiser events such as bake sales to support a chosen charity. Furthermore, all office meetings take place a few times a year which are often followed by lunch or other events where people can network.

Yes

Arup encourages learning and professional development which is vital for an apprenticeship. They also encourage working on projects that you have an interest in and help you to identify opportunities related to this, with travel to other offices possible. Finally, there are a number of great perks and employee benefits that come with working at Arup.

Do your research on projects that Arup have carried out that you find interesting, looking up information about the firm is also a good idea. Think of examples where you have demonstrated valuable soft skills such as organisational skills and team working skills.