Tech Specialist Review
at Balfour Beatty
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Engineering
Newcastle upon Tyne
Review Submitted: April 2025
Overall Rating
3.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3.5/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
Assisting design engineers on their work designing substations, using computer aided design software's to create/modify drawings based on their design intent.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
The programme is okay the education is delivered in block release so you spend more time away from home which can be enjoyable to some but can get quite taxing when done in abundance.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I started the role with no experience with computer aided design software's and am now very competent using it, which will be a skill that can be used in all sectors of engineering
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The programme follows a structure around block release so work try to keep you busy while not at college but in some cases there's only a week between college blocks so there is nothing they can do in those cases.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I receive a good amount of support, Balfour Beatty is a very flexible employer and I've never had an issue in times of car troubles or other unforeseen circumstances
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
We have regular review meetings every 10 weeks, however in between these as I'm based quite far away from the college I went to it can be difficult to get information from them.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
There are plenty topics covered in college that do relate directly to my job role, there are others that don't come up as often but still provide and overall better grasp on engineering.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Balfour Beatty have an initiative called BB-Life which is always organising out of work activities for people to do with their colleagues. These range from go-karting to tickets to musicals/comedy shows and the annual summer and Christmas parties.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Balfour Beatty to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Balfour Beatty is a good company to join for experience in an industry, they have a commitment to developing staff especially those in apprenticeship roles so it is a good entry to an industry you see your self working in.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Balfour Beatty?
Balfour Beatty has a rich heritage of delivering projects so make sure you do some research on what they have done in the past. It also gives an understanding of just how big of a company it is and how much they've been involved with.
