Chloe Atkins at Laing O'Rourke

Heating and Ventilation Apprentice

I applied twice to get on the Apprenticeship+ programme. I didn't get in first time around, so I took a heating and ventilation college course for a year and was successful the second time. I've just finished my first year of what will be a four-year apprenticeship in total.

I go to college on block release – four weeks at a time, three times a year – to study for a City and Guilds diploma in heating and ventilation. When I get back on-site it’s a great opportunity to put into practice the theory we’ve been learning.

One of the things that I think makes Laing O’Rourke’s Apprenticeship+ special is that everyone across the UK on the Apprenticeship+ programme gets to meet together and share experiences. That’s because we go on development modules held at places like the Lake District, where we have a go at team-bonding activities like making a raft, canoe orienteering, abseiling, tree-climbing, zip slides. It’s really fun but challenging and it helps to develop the team working and problem solving skills that you need in an organisation like CHt.

Without a doubt I've made the right choice to join the Apprentice+ programme – I just wish I’d done it a bit earlier! I’m 24 now but I first wanted to be a heating engineer and plumber after my A-levels but didn’t pursue it – maybe because of what some people think about women doing this kind of work. A few years later, I was working in a call centre and miserable so I decided to go after my dream.