Boosting civil engineering apprenticeships
During National Apprenticeship Week, former apprentice Will Wood discusses the opportunities that his apprenticeship brought him and why more needs to be done to encourage young people into civil engineering.
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Apprenticeships are without a doubt the best way for young people to start a career in an area that they may not have heard of or even considered before, which tends to be the case for civil engineering.
I joined Seymour Civil Engineering in September 2012 as a management trainee apprentice, while studying for a BTEC Level 3 diploma in construction and the built environment at Hartlepool College.
I found the first few weeks a massive eye-opener. I had no idea there were so many different avenues I could take within the sector and I’m sure that this is the case for many young people.
The time I spent working in the different departments as an apprentice helped me to develop an abundance of new skills, providing me with real-life on the job experience and helping me narrow down which areas interested me the most and identify where my strengths were.
Many classroom based programmes often fail to teach the specific skills and techniques required on the job. Now on my civil engineering degree course at Teesside University, I can see that my experience working on live projects alongside fully qualified engineers has given me more knowledge than many of my student peers.
[edit] Inspiring future apprentices
One of the main issues leading to a lack of apprentices entering the industry is that many young people don’t understand what civil engineering actually is or what it involves. So is it really that surprising that young people aren’t pursuing a career in the industry?
In many schools, young people have the option to study engineering at GCSE level. Originally, I thought this was a fantastic way of inspiring the next generation but when you actually look at what makes up the subject's curriculum, it is far too broad and doesn't paint an accurate picture of any sector of engineering.
If the subject narrowed in on the specific sectors, highlighting the difference between say civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, students would have a clearer vision of what direction they want to go for an apprenticeship.
[edit] Getting young people onsite
So what can the industry do to try and change this? It’s about engaging with kids at a younger age and getting them out there in to the thick of the action.
When you ask young children what they want to be when they're older they always tend to say jobs that they can relate to, like a police officer, a teacher, a doctor, or a vet. Jobs that they understand because they have experience of them in everyday life.
The work of civil engineers is all around them, every day, yet they have no idea. For me the big question is how can we accurately show them what civil engineering is and help them to understand that it’s a career that makes a difference, much like a police officer or a doctor.
The most encouraging responses I have seen towards careers in civil engineering have come from kids who Seymour has invited to visit their sites.
When they get to see a first-hand view of a building site, armed with a hard hat and high-vis, they get to experience the project from the perspective of a site manager, a quantity surveyor and a site engineer. You can see the impact it’s having on them from their excited faces and abundance of questions.
[edit] Making a change for the sake of the industry
Sitting back and watching the skills gap grow in front of our eyes can no longer be an option if the industry is going to keep up with the ever-growing demand for qualified professionals.
2018 needs to be the year that civil engineering firms invest in their futures by going the extra mile to inspire the next generation. It’s all about investing in apprenticeships, prioritising their development and beaming with pride watching them flourish and grow within their roles.
This article was originally published here by ICE on 8 March 2018. It was written by Will Wood.
--The Institution of Civil Engineers
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Shortlist for the 2025 Roofscape Design Awards
Talent and innovation showcase announcement from the trussed rafter industry.
OpenUSD possibilities: Look before you leap
Being ready for the OpenUSD solutions set to transform architecture and design.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2025
Highlighting the continuing threat to trades persons.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Now available in Arabic and Chinese aswell as English.
The context, schemes, standards, roles and relevance of the Building Safety Act.
Retrofit 25 – What's Stopping Us?
Exhibition Opens at The Building Centre.
Types of work to existing buildings
A simple circular economy wiki breakdown with further links.
A threat to the creativity that makes London special.
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
The smart construction dashboard, as-built data and site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
An outline of the bill with a mix of reactions on potential impacts from IHBC, CIEEM, CIC, ACE and EIC.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.