Careers in Construction Month - Inside the World of an Engineer

I joined FM Conway after completing construction-related BTECs and work experience in the industry because I wanted to work and learn simultaneously, and had a keen interest in construction which has been solidified by my studies. I’m in my third year of my apprenticeship with FM Conway and have spent my time developing my understanding of the industry, my skills, and me as an individual. The job is varied and exciting, including tasks such as site management, assisting the project manager in organising sites, liaising with sub-contractors, arranging labour, and, overall, making sure everything runs smoothly on the job both on site and off.

An apprenticeship was the right choice for me because I wanted real workplace experience and the opportunity to complete tangible work – getting my hands dirty. I am also a sociable person who enjoys being outside, talking to a wide variety of people from all different cultures and backgrounds; my apprenticeship allows me to embrace these aspects in a way that, I believe, other pathways, like university, wouldn’t. In my time with FM Conway, I have built strong connections across the industry as well as relationships with colleagues, operatives, sub-contractors, and management from all different walks of life. My team has five apprentices, and I really enjoy being surrounded by people with different levels of experience: we have two first-years who have just joined the business, two (including me) who are third years, and one fourth-year apprentice. We all learn from and support each other along with the wider team.

FM Conway was an obvious choice for me because of all the great work we do in helping the communities in the boroughs where we complete our work. The public realm jobs I have been able to be a part of have been incredibly rewarding because I feel I am improving the areas where I work, whilst helping the people that live in them. FM Conway also offer a lot of variety and the size of the company means that I have been able to explore different departments and work in places I never thought I would be able to. When FM Conway worked on the Millenium Bridge, I got the opportunity to walk across it on my own and by adhering to the strict safety requirements, I was able to lift the panels of the bridge to look directly down onto the Thames – it was scary but so interesting. I also have felt like I am making a difference to the heart of London when working on Tower Bridge and Blackfriars over my time here.

I really enjoy the outdoors, onsite side of the job but I also spend one day a week in our head office to learn about the corporate side of engineering and the industry. The mixture of work is interesting and has helped me to develop my understanding of the business, whilst building strong working relationships with colleagues on site and in the office. The community and people are some of the most important parts of my time at FM Conway, they have made me feel valued and trusted as I develop my skills. Especially in the past year, I have taken on more responsibility and the people around me are relying on my knowledge. The trust that my colleagues place in me has boosted my sense of achievement and development both in my career and my individuality, as I am able to take greater responsibility over projects. Just as my colleagues trust me, I trust the team to help me develop at a pace which is right for me. Yet they still push me to succeed which gives me a great sense of gratification and gratitude to the FM Conway team.

An apprenticeship is often the first step into professional life for a lot of people and the learning and development team put on quarterly enrichment programmes for first- and second-year apprentices which I found to be a great way to get to see everyone and make friends with the other apprentices who I wouldn’t have otherwise met. The sessions helped me to get to know myself and my own career rather than construction specifically which was a great way for me to develop my personal brand and individuality.

The enrichment programmes and the high level of responsibility of the work we get to complete as apprentices at FM Conway, supported me as I matured into an adult. Having joined FM Conway at 18, straight out of college, I was not used to being in a professional workplace, let alone on-site, and the team supported me in the transitionary process and with my own personal development. The mentorship scheme was helpful with this; I was assigned a more senior apprentice to be my mentor. He supported me through settling into the company and has always been available for a catch-up or just a quick question when I need him, even three years down the line. My mentor also helped me with my university work; getting used to juggling engineering work and study was a learning curve but the opportunity to consolidate the theory I learnt in lectures with the actual work at FM Conway was a great way to learn and retain information.

Now I am a few years into my apprenticeship, I have taken the opportunity to be a mentor for a first-year apprentice. I have gone out of my way to check-in on how his work is going and made sure that he is getting involved in the work that I am doing, so he can get the proper experience from the start. As my mentor helped me, I am making sure that my mentee learns as much as he can focusing on little bits of information at a time as he learns the whole picture of an engineering apprenticeship at FM Conway.

My key advice to people considering their options as they finish school are to look around and realise that there are so many opportunities for you. Apprenticeships are a great way to obtain a nationally accredited qualification whilst working in the real-world, earning a salary, and making meaningful connections with those in the industry you are working within. A misconception about apprenticeships is that you can become trapped within a role that you picked before you were sure, but FM Conway has so many different areas and opportunities to see where you fit best within the company. One of my mentees was only with us for a week before he realised the commute to Westminster was too much for him, so we spoke to the learning and development team, and they helped him move over to a different department where he could thrive.

An apprenticeship gives you the chance to learn and grown, making changes to your life and career as you go, during mine I know that I have really developed into my role and grown a lot as a person.