Apprenticeships offer a viable route into infrastructure and civil engineering and tap into a new generation of civil engineering talent, says the Institution of Civil Engineers Wales Cymru during National Apprenticeships Week.
The engineering institution, which represents more than 3,600 professional civil engineers across Wales, said it supports the investment in degree apprenticeships by the Welsh Government and apprenticeships to Level 7 (Chartered Civil Engineer) across all parts of Wales.
That includes the new infrastructure engineering qualification embedded in the wide range of professional membership.
This statement was made ahead of the launch of the Institution’s annual Apprentice of the Year Awards which celebrate civil engineering excellence and being an ambassador for the civil engineering industry.
Last year, Arup apprentice Spiros Grimas was a winner of the prestigious award. The University of South Wales student contributes to a variety of prestigious projects including Plasdwr – a new housing development in north Cardiff – and Bute Energy – a renewable energy developer which aims to generate clean, green power to support decarbonisation and boost energy security.
He said:
“Arup’s apprenticeship programme has offered me a unique opportunity – to gain hands-on experience and develop essential skills while building a rewarding career. There are always new things to learn at Arup and being part of live project teams has helped me understand how engineering decisions are made in practice. Learning from colleagues as they talk through their thinking has been one of the most valuable parts of the apprenticeship and it has strengthened my confidence as I develop my CAD skills and engineering skills.”
ICE Wales Cymru Regional Director, Keith Jones, said:
“We welcome the development of degree apprenticeships across Wales. Apprenticeships provide a launchpad for an exciting career in civil engineering, as well as options to explore specialisms in fields such as highways, energy and coastal management”.
“During National Apprenticeships Week, we are delighted to launch our annual Apprentice of the Year Awards that recognises the brightest talent across Wales in civil engineering. We invite professional institutions to nominate their best and brightest talent from 16 February on our website.”
